1 19 January 2018 Army Public Health Weekly Update Army Public Health Center U.S. Military | Global | Influenza | Veterinary/Food Safety | Wellness | Contact Us USAFRICOM | USCENTCOM | USEUCOM | USNORTHCOM | USPACOM | USSOUTHCOM Subscription or Comments If you wish to be added to the APH Weekly Update mailing list, removed from the mailing list, or if you have comments or questions about the update, please contact us. We welcome your comments. Please feel free to share this update with others who may be interested. Approved for public release, distribution unlimited. Contents U.S. MILITARY Ex-commanders face negligent homicide charges over deadly Navy collisions FDA to speed review of medical products for use by military Insomnia and motor vehicle accident–related injuries, active component, U.S. Armed Forces, 2007–2016 Navy to pay to protect water supply after chemicals found in Whidbey Island wells U.S. Army medical research lab gets fast track approval from FDA for malaria drug GLOBAL Black Death 'spread by humans not rats' Ebola vaccine proves effective in non-human primate challenge Hold the salt: gut reaction may impair the brains of mice NIH scientists find microbes on the skin of mice promote tissue healing, immunity Repeated head hits, not just concussions, may lead to a type of chronic brain damage Study identifies malaria resistance genes, possible drug targets UK study finds surfers more likely to be colonized with resistant bacteria ZIKA VIRUS Brazil study hints at dengue cross-protection in Zika's wake Brazilian studies highlight Zika microcephaly patterns Scientists find Zika virus in 3 mosquito species not known to carry it Zika infection during pregnancy may disrupt fetal oxygen supply INFLUENZA AFHSB: DoD Seasonal Influenza Surveillance Summary APHC: U.S. Army Influenza Activity Report CDC: Flu View - Weekly U.S. Influenza Surveillance Report ECDC: Flu News Europe For CDC, reducing flu spread takes priority over nuclear attack preparedness NHRC: Operational Infectious Diseases - Weekly Surveillance Report ‘Smart thermometers’ track flu season in real time Study reveals more H1N1 deaths in those exposed to '57 pandemic USAFSAM & DHA: DoD Global, Laboratory-Based, Influenza Surveillance Program The Army Public Health Update is a collection of articles taken verbatim from public sources to offer awareness of current health issues and the media coverage given to them. The articles do not necessarily represent US Army Medical Department opinions, views, policy, or guidance, and should not be construed or interpreted as being endorsed by the US Army Medical Command.
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1
19 January 2018
Army Public Health
Weekly Update
Army Public Health Center
US Military | Global | Influenza | VeterinaryFood Safety | Wellness | Contact Us
USAFRICOM | USCENTCOM | USEUCOM | USNORTHCOM | USPACOM | USSOUTHCOM
Subscription or
Comments
If you wish to be added to
the APH Weekly Update
mailing list removed from
the mailing list or if you
have comments or
questions about the
update please contact us
We welcome your
comments Please feel free
to share this update with
others who may be
interested
Approved for public release distribution unlimited
Contents
US MILITARY
Ex-commanders face negligent homicide charges over deadly Navy collisions
FDA to speed review of medical products for use by military
Insomnia and motor vehicle accidentndashrelated injuries active component US Armed Forces
2007ndash2016
Navy to pay to protect water supply after chemicals found in Whidbey Island wells
US Army medical research lab gets fast track approval from FDA for malaria drug
GLOBAL
Black Death spread by humans not rats
Ebola vaccine proves effective in non-human primate challenge
Hold the salt gut reaction may impair the brains of mice
NIH scientists find microbes on the skin of mice promote tissue healing immunity
Repeated head hits not just concussions may lead to a type of chronic brain damage
Study identifies malaria resistance genes possible drug targets
UK study finds surfers more likely to be colonized with resistant bacteria
ZIKA VIRUS
Brazil study hints at dengue cross-protection in Zikas wake
Brazilian studies highlight Zika microcephaly patterns
Scientists find Zika virus in 3 mosquito species not known to carry it
Zika infection during pregnancy may disrupt fetal oxygen supply
INFLUENZA
AFHSB DoD Seasonal Influenza Surveillance Summary
APHC US Army Influenza Activity Report
CDC Flu View - Weekly US Influenza Surveillance Report
ECDC Flu News Europe
For CDC reducing flu spread takes priority over nuclear attack preparedness
NHRC Operational Infectious Diseases - Weekly Surveillance Report
lsquoSmart thermometersrsquo track flu season in real time
Study reveals more H1N1 deaths in those exposed to 57 pandemic
USAFSAM amp DHA DoD Global Laboratory-Based Influenza Surveillance Program
The Army Public Health Update is a collection of articles taken verbatim
from public sources to offer awareness of current health
issues and the media coverage given to them The articles do
not necessarily represent US Army Medical Department
opinions views policy or guidance and should not be construed or interpreted as
being endorsed by the US Army Medical Command
2
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YouTube
VETERINARYFOOD SAFETY
Dozens of brands of ice cream bars now on recall for Listeria
French police search Lactalis sites after baby milk scare
Fugu freakout Dont eat the blowfish Japanese officials warn
Multistate outbreak of Salmonella infections linked to coconut tree brand frozen shredded
coconut
Pets Raw meat diets pose a risk to both animal and human health
South Africa More Listeriosis cases and deaths Whatrsquos being done
The parasite on the playground
WELLNESS
Current cigarette smoking among adults mdash United States 2016
Cycling does not harm mens sexual health study says
Obesity shaved almost a year off US life expectancy study says
Researchers probe stomach surgeryrsquos lsquomiraclersquo secrets
Wal-Mart launches program to safely dispose of unused opioids
USAFRICOM
Democratic Republic of the Congo Five cases of vaccine-derived polio detected in DRC
Namibia Hepatitis E
Nigeria 3 die from Lassa fever in Ebonyi State
South Africa Cape Town slashes water use amid drought
South Sudan Rift Valley fever suspected in South Sudan VHF cluster 2 cases reported
Uganda Doctors in Uganda warn crisis level blood shortage is putting lives at risk
United Republic of Tanzania Cholera
Zambia Zambia relaxes restrictions as cholera outbreak slows
USCENTCOM
Yemen UN hopes imports will help stave off famine in Yemen as diphtheria spreads
USEUCOM
Ukraine Ukraine conflict has increased spread of HIV in silent epidemic
United Kingdom Britain appoints minister for loneliness amid growing isolation
United Kingdom Measles outbreak spreading across England warn health officials
United Kingdom UK drugs regulator plays down Brexit disruption threat
USNORTHCOM
US FDA expects IV fluid shortage to improve in coming weeks months
US Mapping how the opioid epidemic sparked an HIV outbreak
US More $$ needed for health emergencies senators told
US National Academies report endorses lower BAC higher alcohol taxes
US NIH study shows steep increase in rate of alcohol-related ER visits
US Number of Americans without health insurance grows in Trumps first year new figures
show
US The Big Number 3500 infants die of sleep-related issues
US US faces oversupply of antibiotic-free chicken - Sanderson Farms
US US government to shield health workers under religious freedom
USPACOM
Bangladesh Cold wave
Indonesia Indonesia sends military to help fight health crisis in Papua
3
Philippines Sanofi will reimburse Philippines government for unused Dengvaxia
USSOUTHCOM
Brazil WHO recommends yellow fever shot to Sao Paulo visitors
US MILITARY
Ex-commanders face negligent homicide charges over
deadly Navy collisions
16 January - The US Navy announced Tuesday that the former commanding officers of the
USS Fitzgerald and USS John S McCain -- the ships involved in two deadly 2017 collisions
that killed 17 sailors -- will face criminal charges including dereliction of duty hazarding a
vessel and negligent homicide The USS McCains commanding officer was Cmdr Alfredo J
Sanchez while the USS Fitzgeralds commanding officer was Cmdr Bryce Benson After
careful deliberation today Adm Frank Caldwell announced that Uniform Code of Military
Justice charges are being preferred against individual service members in relation to the
collisions a Navy statement said CNN
top of page
FDA to speed review of medical products for use by
military
16 January - The US Food and Drug Administration and Department of Defense launched a
program on Tuesday to speed the development and review of medical products needed by
the military such as freeze-dried plasma that could prevent wounded troops from bleeding
to death The move follows a dispute between the FDA and the defense department over a
provision in the annual defense authorization bill that would have allowed the Pentagon to
authorize the emergency use of drugs and medical devices that have not been approved by
the FDA The US Senate and House of Representatives ultimately passed a bill leaving
authority to approve new medical products with the FDA but which authorizes the defense
department to request that the FDA bumps up certain products to the top of its review list
The defense departmentrsquos top priorities include freeze-dried plasma cold-stored platelets
and cryopreserved platelets Reuters
top of page
Insomnia and motor vehicle accidentndashrelated injuries
active component US Armed Forces 2007ndash2016
December 2017 - Insomnia is the most common sleep disorder in adults and its incidence is
increasing in the US Armed Forces A potential consequence of insomnia (including
medications used to treat it) is increased risk of motor vehicle accidents (MVAs) which
cause significant morbidity and mortality in service members To examine the relationship
between insomnia and MVA-related injuries in the US Armed Forces this retrospective
4
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with articles classified up to
the SECRET level from the
USAPHC SIPRNet site
httpphcarmysmilmil
Look under Hot Topics amp
Current Issues
To access this version you
will need a SECRET
clearance and a SIPRNet
account
Links
A-Z Index
About APHC
Army Public Health
Weekly Update Archives
Medical Surveillance
Monthly Report
Medical Threat Briefings
(AKO)
Request APHC Services
APHC Resource Materials
APHC Homepage
APHC Training
Contact APHC
cohort study compared incidence rates of MVA-related injuries from 2007 through 2016
between service members with diagnosed insomnia and an unexposed cohort After
adjustment for multiple covariates service members with insomnia had more than double
the rate of MVA-related injuries compared to service members without insomnia A
subanalysis of service members with insomnia during 2014ndash2016 found no difference in risk
of MVA-related injury based on days supply of sleep aid medications prescribed in 365
days following insomnia diagnosis Medical Surveillance Monthly Report
top of page
Navy to pay to protect water supply after chemicals
found in Whidbey Island wells
17 January - The Navy will foot the bill for a filter system to protect the Coupeville water
supply from chemicals found in firefighting foam used at an airstrip near the Whidbey
Island town The action announced Tuesday is part of a broader Defense Department effort
mdash in Washington and elsewhere mdash to track pollution plumes from firefighting foam used at
military installations and offer assistance when the chemicals have been detected in
drinking-water supplies On Whidbey Island the Navy will pay to design install and operate
a filter system to treat perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances mdash or PFAS One of
these chemicals was found in a Coupeville drinking-water well at just below the 70 parts per
trillion lifetime exposure guideline set by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
Seattle Times
top of page
US Army medical research lab gets fast track approval
from FDA for malaria drug
16 January - The US Army Medical Materiel Development Activity here has received a Fast
Track designation from the US Food and Drug Administration for the development of
Tafenoquine a potential anti-malaria drug for adults Achieving FDA licensure of
Tafenoquine will provide a significant improvement over the current measures of malaria
prevention for US forces said Dr Lawrence Lightner project manager for the
Pharmaceutical Systems Project Management Office at USAMMDA Tafenoquine is only
required to be administered weekly while current preventive measures are required daily
and it protects against all forms of malaria Armymil
top of page
GLOBAL
Black Death spread by humans not rats
15 January - Rats were not to blame for the spread of plague during the Black Death
according to a study The rodents and their fleas were thought to have spread a series of
5
outbreaks in 14th-19th Century Europe But a team from the universities of Oslo and Ferrara
now says the first the Black Death can be largely ascribed to human fleas and body lice
The study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science uses records of its
pattern and scale [Researchers created] three models where the disease was spread by rats
airborne transmission fleas and lice that live on humans and their clothes In seven out of
the nine cities studied the human parasite model was a much better match for the pattern
of the outbreak It mirrored how quickly it spread and how many people it affected The
conclusion was very clear said Prof Stenseth The lice model fits best BBC News
top of page
Ebola vaccine proves effective in non-human primate
challenge 17 January - A single-dose modified vaccinia Ankara Ebola vaccine protected macaques
from Ebola virus after experimental infection hellip In the study 12 primates were challenged
with Ebola virus Makona strain in both a prime and booster dose While six control animals
contracted Ebola virus the immunized monkeys all showed high levels of Ebola
immunoglobulin G (IgG) and did not contract the virus This is the first study to demonstrate
the effectiveness of a novel recombinant modified vaccinia Ankara (MVA)-based vaccine
containing Ebola-like particles hellip The MVA-EBOV vaccine could be very usefulmdashnot only
for containing an outbreak by emergency immunization but as a routine vaccine for a
target population in EBOV endemic areas the authors wrote
CIDRAP News Scan (fourth item)
top of page
Hold the salt gut reaction may impair the brains of mice 18 January - We are often warned of the dangers of high levels of salt in our diet yet the
risks of salt consumption and the effects of salt on the body including the brain are not
entirely clear In a new mouse study scientists link changes in the gut caused by a high-salt
diet to impaired blood flow in the brain This reduced blood flow can eventually lead to
impaired cognition that could be reversed by changing back to a normal diet hellip In this
study mice were fed a high-salt diet (HSD) containing 16 times the amount of sodium
chloride typically found in their food After eight weeks their brains showed a 20 to 30
percent reduction in blood flow compared to mice that ate normal food This drop in blood
flow was accompanied by the appearance of dementia-like symptoms including defects in
the ability of HSD mice to recognize objects navigate a maze and properly build a nest
When the mice were returned to a normal diet both blood flow and cognition improved
suggesting that the negative effects of excessive salt consumption could be reversible NIH
top of page
NIH scientists find microbes on the skin of mice promote
tissue healing immunity 18 January - Beneficial bacteria on the skin of lab mice work with the animalsrsquo immune
systems to defend against disease-causing microbes and accelerate wound healing
6
according to new research from scientists at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious
Diseases part of the National Institutes of Health Researchers say untangling similar
mechanisms in humans may improve approaches to managing skin wounds and treating
other damaged tissues NIH
top of page
Repeated head hits not just concussions may lead to a
type of chronic brain damage
18 January - We live in an age of heightened awareness about concussions From
battlefields around the world to football fields in the US weve heard about the dangers
caused when the brain rattles around inside the skull and the possible link between
concussions and the degenerative brain disease chronic traumatic encephalopathy hellip But
now a high-powered team of researchers says all that focus on concussions may be missing
the mark A [new] study hellip presents the strongest case yet that repetitive hits to the head
that dont lead to concussions mdashmeaning no loss of consciousness or other symptoms that
can include headaches dizziness vision problems or confusion mdash cause CTE Weve had an
inkling that subconcussive hits mdash the ones that dont [show] neurological signs and
symptoms mdash may be associated with CTE says Dr Lee Goldstein an associate professor of
psychiatry at the Boston University School of Medicine and the lead investigator on the
study We now have solid scientific evidence to say that is so NPR
top of page
Study identifies malaria resistance genes possible drug
targets
16 January - A new study of drug resistance in the parasite responsible for roughly half of all
malaria cases worldwide has identified more than 80 genes that contribute to resistance
some of which could provide important information for drug development researchers say
CIDRAP
top of page
UK study finds surfers more likely to be colonized with
resistant bacteria
17 January - A first-of-its-kind study combining surveillance of antibiotic-resistant bacteria
in bathing waters and human exposure estimates has found that surfers are more likely to
be colonized by drug-resistant bacteria than non-surfers hellip The study hellip aimed to estimate
the prevalence of Escherichia coli harboring the extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL)
gene blaCTX-M in waters along the UK coastline CTX-M genes represent nearly 80 of
ESBLs in clinical isolates and can encode resistance to multiple antibiotics Previous research
has indicated that ingesting seawater containing antibiotic-resistant E coli is associated with
gut colonization by these bacteria and that swimming is a risk factor for urinary tract
infections caused by ESBL-producing bacteria hellip While surfers colonised by potentially
7
pathogenic [antibiotic-resistant bacteria] may by asymptomatic gut bacteria are a major
source of infection and these bacteria may cause problems if colonised individuals develop
a health condition in the future that makes them more susceptible to infections the
authors write CIDRAP StewardshipResistance Scan (second item)
top of page
ZIKA VIRUS
Brazil study hints at dengue cross-protection in Zikas
wake
17 January - An outbreak of Zika virus in 2015 in Brazil may have provided some cross-
protection against dengue infection according to researchers who studied disease
surveillance data in a slum community of Salvador the countrys fourth-largest city
Before 2015 positive tests for dengue virus followed annual second- or third-quarter peaks
However they saw a much smaller peak in 2015 during the Zika outbreak with dengue
positive showing no peak in 2016 and 2017 The frequency of confirmed dengue in patients
with febrile illness fell from 25 before the Zika epidemic to 3 after the outbreak
However over the same period the percentage of patients who tested positive for
chikungunya virus infection increased significantly from 7 before the Zika epidemic to
20 after suggesting that the environmental conditions including mosquito populations
were still in place after the Zika epidemic CIDRAP News Scan (second item)
top of page
Brazilian studies highlight Zika microcephaly patterns
16 January - A new case-control study based in one of
Brazils Zika hot spots reaffirmed the link between Zika and
microcephaly and offered one of the first estimates of Zika-
linked microcephaly prevalence in areas experiencing an
outbreak The study also found that timing of exposure and
evidence of infection in infants were the only risk factors a
key finding given lingering questions about whether any other factors were involved in the
unusually high levels of birth defects in Brazils outbreak Also another group that looked at
microcephaly patterns in another of Brazils hard-hit Zika regions found that microcephaly
prevalence was higher in areas marked by poorer living conditions CIDRAP
top of page
Scientists find Zika virus in 3 mosquito species not
known to carry it
17 January - Zika virus was discovered in the salivary glands of five mosquito species caught
in the wild in Mexico including three previously unreported hellip Though Aedes aegypti and
8
Ae albopictus are the main vectors of the disease (and also transmit dengue chikungunya
and yellow fever) other species have been theorized to be able to carry the Zika virus as
well Mexican researchers looked at Ae aegypti and Ae vexans as well as Culex
quinquefasciatus Cx coronator and Cx tarsalis They collected 579 mosquitoes over 5
separate days from September to November 2016 in different parts of the Guadalajara
metropolitan area They were able to isolate in cell culture Zika virus from different body
partsmdashincluding the salivary glandsmdashof female mosquitoes representing all five species and
in whole male Ae aegypti and Cx quinquefasciatus mosquitoes
CIDRAP News Scan (third item)
top of page
Zika infection during pregnancy may disrupt fetal oxygen
supply 18 January - Zika virus infection appears to affect oxygen delivery to the fetuses of pregnant
monkeys according to a small study Researchers also observed a high degree of
inflammation in the placenta and lining of the uterus which can harm the fetal immune
system and increase a newborns susceptibility to additional infections hellip [Researchers] used
non-invasive imaging to evaluate how persistent Zika infection affects pregnancy in five
rhesus macaques The team found that the virus induces high levels of inflammation in the
blood vessels of the uterus and damages placental villi the branch-like growths that help
transfer oxygen and nutrients from maternal blood to the fetus The researchers suggest
that this damage may disrupt oxygen transport to the fetus which can restrict its growth
and lead to stillbirth among other conditions NIH
top of page
INFLUENZA
AFHSB DoD Seasonal Influenza Surveillance Summary For Week 1
NORTHCOM Influenza activity continued to increase with the majority of states
experiencing moderate to high activity
EUCOM Influenza activity in EUCOM increased and ranged from minimal to high
depending on the country
PACOM Influenza activity continued to increase throughout PACOM and was high
in Hawaii and the Republic of Korea
CENTCOM and AFRICOM Since week 48 TMDS data has not been sent to AFHSB
Therefore the CENTCOM map and figure are not presented as the data will be
incomplete
SOUTHCOM Since week 48 TMDS data has not been sent to AFHSB Therefore
SOUTHCOM data is incomplete and will not be provided
top of page
9
APHC US Army Influenza Activity Report
For the week ending 6 January 2018 (week 1)
In week 1 722 influenza A-positive specimens were reported by Army medical treatment
facilities which is a 45 increase from the 498 positive influenza A specimens reported in
week 52 This influenza season is on track to be one of the most active according to the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) To decrease the spread of flu ill Service
Members should be placed on quarters and the flu vaccine should be administered to
unvaccinated individuals Furthermore the CDC recommends taking antivirals within 48
hours of symptom onset to lessen the symptoms of the flu for those that do become ill
APHC
top of page
CDC Flu View - Weekly US Influenza Surveillance
Report
During week 1 (December 31 2017-January 6 2018) influenza activity increased in the
United States
Viral Surveillance The most frequently identified influenza virus subtype reported
by public health laboratories during week 1 was influenza A(H3) The percentage of
respiratory specimens testing positive for influenza in clinical laboratories remained
elevated
Pneumonia and Influenza Mortality The proportion of deaths attributed to
pneumonia and influenza (PampI) was at the system-specific epidemic threshold in the
National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) Mortality Surveillance System
Influenza-associated Pediatric Deaths Seven influenza-associated pediatric deaths
were reported CDC
top of page
ECDC Flu News Europe
Week 12018 (1ndash7 January 2018)
Influenza activity was increasing in countries in northern southern and western
Europe
Both influenza type A and B viruses were co-circulating and different patterns of
circulation were observed across countries in the Region
Of the individuals sampled on presenting with ILI or ARI to sentinel primary
healthcare sites 42 tested positive for influenza viruses similar to the 44 in the
previous week
EuroMOMO data showed excess mortality in the elderly (gt65 years of age) for the
United-Kingdom (Scotland) Spain and Portugal
European Center for Disease Prevention and ControlWHO
top of page
10
For CDC reducing flu spread takes priority over nuclear
attack preparedness
15 January - The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention changed the topic of a nuclear
strike preparedness session opting to focus on a widespread flu outbreak The Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention has postponed a planned Tuesday session on nuclear attack
preparedness deciding instead to focus the workshop on influenza The agency announced
the switch in topics late Friday citing the spike in flu cases as the reason for the pivot To
date this influenza season is notable for the sheer volume of flu that most of the United
States is seeing at the same time which can stress health systems according to a CDC
statement The vast majority of this activity has been caused by influenza A H3N2
associated with severe illness in young children and people 65 years and older NPR
top of page
NHRC Operational Infectious Diseases - Weekly
Surveillance Report
11 January - Febrile respiratory illness cases
Military Recruits - 24 positive of 33 tested
CDC Border Infectious Disease Surveillance and Zika Surveillance - 122 positive of
157 tested
DoD Beneficiaries ndash 12 positive of 21 tested Naval Health Research Center
top of page
lsquoSmart thermometersrsquo track flu season in real time
16 January ndash A company making ldquosmart thermometersrdquo that upload body temperatures to
its website claims to be tracking this yearrsquos flu season faster and in greater geographic detail
than public health authorities can This yearrsquos flu season mdash which the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention considers ldquomoderately severerdquo mdash has left Missouri and Iowa the
ldquosickest states in the countryrdquo said Inder Singh the founder of Kinsahealthcom California
has had its worst outbreak in five years with nearly 1 percent of the state exhibiting flu
symptoms on Jan 2 he added By contrast New York New England and the Southeast have
had relatively mild seasons so far but cases are rising and should peak in two weeks Mr
Singhrsquos data paints a different picture from that of the CDC which held a news conference
Friday to announce that flu activity was ldquowidespreadrdquo across the continental United States
which is unusual The New York Times
top of page
Study reveals more H1N1 deaths in those exposed to 57
pandemic
17 January - hellip [Researchers have] found more evidence that exposure to a pandemic strain
can make people more susceptible to the next pandemic strainmdashif the viruses are greatly
11
different from each other hellip For the 2009 H1N1 pandemic season the investigators found
peaks in death rates in people from [United States and Mexico] who were 52 years old
corresponding with a birth year of 1957 when the H2N2 Asian flu pandemic occurred The
team said the vulnerability that they and others have noted in subsequent pandemics marks
an unappreciated risk factor and has all the markings of a cohort effect showing the value
of studying flu deaths by individual birth year instead of very large age-groups The findings
suggest that increased pandemic deaths in people primed in early life by viruses that have
little to no antigenic overlap with new pandemic or seasonal viruses might result in
responses that increase the pathogenicity of the disease possibly compromising lung
function the group wrote CIDRAP
top of page
USAFSAM amp DHA DoD Global Laboratory-Based
Influenza Surveillance Program During 17 - 30 December 2017 (Surveillance Weeks 51 amp 52) a total of 434 specimens were
collected and received from 58 locations Results were finalized for 396 specimens from 57
locations During Week 51 there were 115 influenza viruses detected 88 influenza A(H3N2)
(including two coinfections) 11 influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 and 16 influenza B (including two
coinfections) During Week 51 the influenza percent positive was approximately 38
During Week 52 there were 44 influenza viruses detected 35 influenza A(H3N2) (including
two coinfections) two influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 (including one coinfection) and seven
influenza B viruses (including one coinfection) The influenza percent positive was
approximately 49 during Week 52 The influenza percent positive for the season is 17
US Air Force School of Aerospace Medicine amp Defense Health Agency
top of page
VETERINARYFOOD SAFETY
Dozens of brands of ice cream bars now on recall for
Listeria 14 January - A Listeria-related ice cream bar recall that started Jan 5 with less than 400
cases of frozen treats now includes additional flavors and brands totaling close to 29000
cases sent to more than 35 retail chains across the country No illnesses have been
confirmed in connection with the ice cream products However finished samples tested
positive for Listeria monocytogenes before the initial recall and more samples have tested
positive since then spurring Fieldbrook Foods Corp to broaden its recall hellip Officials are
concerned that consumers and entities along the food supply chain may still have the
recalled ice cream treats in their freezers hellip ldquoThere is no evidence of any contamination
prior to Oct 31 2017 but the company has issued the recall back to Jan 1 2017 through
an abundance of caution and in full cooperation with the FDA (Food and Drug
Administration)rdquo according to the recall notice posted on the FDA website
Food Safety News
top of page
12
French police search Lactalis sites after baby milk scare
17 January -French police were searching several sites belonging to dairy producer Lactalis
on Wednesday following a salmonella contamination scare that prompted a global recall of
several baby food products a source at the Paris prosecutorrsquos office said The scandal
deepened this month when it emerged some of the recalled baby foods had still made their
way onto shop shelves in a number of supermarket chains The Paris prosecutor opened a
preliminary probe into the salmonella contamination scare in late December Reuters
top of page
Fugu freakout Dont eat the blowfish Japanese officials
warn
16 January - Officials in the central Japanese city of Gamagori
are warning residents not to eat blowfish purchased from a
local supermarket after potentially deadly parts of the fish were
inadvertently sold The market sold five packages of fish
without removing their livers which can contain a potent
neurotoxin Three of the packages of fish have been recovered
by authorities but two others remain at large hellip Eating fugu liver can paralyze motor
nerves and in a serious case cause respiratory arrest leading to death regional officials
said in a warning statement Blowfish known in Japan as fugu is a highly prized delicacy
both as sashimi or as an ingredient in soup but the fishs liver ovaries and skin contain the
poison tetrodotoxin and the parts must be removed by specially trained and licensed
preparers There is no known antidote to the poison NPR
top of page
Multistate outbreak of Salmonella infections linked to
coconut tree brand frozen shredded coconut
16 January - CDC public health and regulatory officials in several states and the US Food
and Drug Administration (FDA) are investigating a multistate outbreak of Salmonella
infections hellip As of January 12 2018 25 people infected with the outbreak strains of
Salmonella I 4[5]12b- (24 people) or Salmonella Newport (1 person) have been reported
from 9 states One more ill person infected with the outbreak strain of Salmonella I
4[5]12b- has been reported from Canada hellip Illnesses started on dates ranging from May
11 2017 to November 4 2017 Ill people range in age from 1 year to 82 with a median age
of 19 Among ill people 19 (76) are male Six people (24) report being hospitalized No
deaths have been reported hellip The frozen shredded coconut linked to this outbreak was
used as an ingredient in Asian-style dessert drinks served at restaurants The product was
also sold in grocery stores and markets in several states Frozen shredded coconut can last
for several months if kept frozen and may still be in retail stores or in peoplersquos homes CDC
top of page
13
Pets Raw meat diets pose a risk to both animal and
human health
12 January - Experts are warning dog and cat owners to be
aware of the risks associated with feeding their pets raw meat-
based diets (RMBDs) instead of the more conventional dry or
canned pet foods hellip Of most concern however is the risk to
public or animal health due to contamination of RMBDs with
zoonotic bacteria and parasites that can pass between animals and humans hellip [A] team of
researchers based in The Netherlands say these diets may be contaminated with bacteria
and parasites and as such may pose a risk to both animal and human health hellip They
analysed 35 commercial frozen RMBDs from eight different brands widely available in The
Netherlands Escherichia coli O157 was isolated from eight products (23) Listeria species
were present in 15 products (43) and Salmonella species in seven products (20) Both E
coli O157 and Salmonella infections in humans have been linked with serious illnesses
Outbreak News Today
top of page
South Africa More Listeriosis cases and deaths Whatrsquos
being done
18 January - In just a matter of a few days the Listeriosis outbreak described as the ldquolargest
documented listeriosis outbreak South Africa has ever experiencedrdquo has grown by 19 cases
with a new outbreak total of 767 laboratory-confirmed listeriosis cases as of Jan 16 The
National Institute of Communicable Diseases (NICD) now puts the death toll at 81 hellip At
present the source of the outbreak is not known hellip The National Department of Health is hellip
interviewing all persons who have been diagnosed with Listeria to understand what food
they have eaten and identify trends Outbreak News Today
top of page
The parasite on the playground
16 January - Millions of American children have been
exposed to hellip parasites roundworms of the genus Toxocara
live in the intestines of cats and dogs especially strays
Microscopic eggs from Toxocara are shed in the animalsrsquo
feces contaminating yards playgrounds and sandboxes
These infectious particles cling to the hands of children
playing outside Once swallowed the eggs soon hatch releasing larvae that wriggle through
the body and evidence suggests may even reach the brain compromising learning and
cognition hellip The latest [CDC] report hellip estimated that about 5 percent of the United States
population mdash or about 16 million people mdash carry Toxocara antibodies in their blood a sign
they have ingested the eggs But the risk is not evenly shared Poor and minority
populations are more often exposed The rate among African Americans was almost 7
14
percent according to the CDC Among people living below the poverty line the infection
rate was 10 percent The New York Times
top of page
WELLNESS
Current cigarette smoking among adults mdash United States
2016
19 January - hellip The proportion of US adults who smoke cigarettes declined from 209 in
2005 (451 million smokers) to 155 in 2016 (378 million smokers) but cigarette smoking
prevalence did not change significantly during 2015ndash2016 Sociodemographic disparities in
cigarette smoking persist During 2005ndash2016 increases occurred in the proportion of adult
ever smokers who quit smoking (508 to 590) Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report
top of page
Cycling does not harm mens sexual health study says
12 January - Cycling does not negatively affect mens
sexual health or urinary function a study has found
Researchers compared cyclists with runners and
swimmers and found their sexual and urinary health was
comparable The findings contrasted with previous
studies that suggested cycling could negatively affect mens sexual function the studys
authors said They said the benefits to cycling far outweigh the risks hellip Sexual health and
urinary function were comparable in all three groups researchers said although some
cyclists were more prone to urethral strictures - a narrowing of the urethra hellip The cyclists
did have statistically significant higher odds of genital numbness the study found
BBC News
top of page
Obesity shaved almost a year off US life expectancy
study says
16 January - Rising obesity rates in the US may be responsible for as many as 186000
deaths per year according to a new analysis The US has seen only relatively modest
improvements in mortality rates over the past couple decades despite public health
victories including major reductions in smoking Death rates tied to cardiovascular disease
cancer and other chronic illnesses for example declined more slowly in the US than in any
of 13 similarly developed nations between 1999 and 2015 Researchers hellip thought rising
obesity rates might have something to do with it so they pored over two subsequent
editions of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Study (NHANES) and the
associated death records Increases in obesity according to the paper slowed gains in
15
mortality rates by 054 between 1988 and 2011 shaving an estimated 09 years off the
national life expectancy at age 40 and resulting in as many as 186000 additional deaths in
2011 alone Time
top of page
Researchers probe stomach surgeryrsquos lsquomiraclersquo secrets
17 January - Nima Saeidi an assistant professor of surgery at Harvard Medical School and
Massachusetts General Hospital and a member of the Center for Engineering in Medicine
had started down one career path when a lecture on Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery
redirected him The MGH lecture outlined not just the procedurersquos striking effectiveness for
weight loss hellip but also its promise against diabetes high blood pressure cholesterol and
fatty-food cravings hellip The idea of a compound that mimics the positives of Roux-en-Y is
particularly enticing amid twin national epidemics of obesity and diabetes The surgery
has been shown to affect insulin sensitivity and production of the hunger hormones ghrelin
and leptin It also alters the composition of a patientrsquos microbiome hellip Saeidi and colleagues
have turned to new rodent models spectroscopic instruments and novel informatics
techniques that shift inquiry from a traditional hypothesis-based step-by-step exploration
to one that seeks to reverse-engineer the problem by searching broadly for postoperative
chemical changes in the body and then working to understand them Harvard Gazette
top of page
Wal-Mart launches program to safely dispose of unused
opioids
17 January - The company said patients filling any new class II opioid prescriptions at its
pharmacies will receive a free packet of the product - called DisposeRx - when filling a new
prescription hellip People filling prescriptions at Samrsquos Club can also get DisposeRx at their
pharmacies In order to safely dispose of opioids patients would add warm water and the
DisposeRx powder to their pill bottle which then forms a biodegradable gel around the
pills Reuters
top of page
USAFRICOM
Democratic Republic of the Congo Five cases of vaccine-
derived polio detected in DRC
12 January - In an advance notification the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) said
there are five new cases of vaccine-derived polio from the Democratic Republic of the
Congo (DRC) hellip These are the first cases reported from the DRC in 2018 but illness onset
dates havent yet been recorded For 2017 there were 12 cases of circulating vaccine-
derived poliovirus type 2 (cVDPV2) in the DRC and 74 reported in Syria hellip In other polio
news Science published an article today describing the increasing number of polio
16
environmental samples found in Pakistan despite the dwindling number of human cases
The authors said the increasing samples could be sign that polio is on its last legs in that
country before eradication CIDRAP News Scan (fourth item)
top of page
Namibia Hepatitis E
15 January - During the week ending on 13 October 2017 the first identified case was
admitted to a public hospital in Windhoek district with signs and symptoms of hepatitis E
During the week ending on 8 January 2018 a total of 237 probable and confirmed cases
have been seen at various health facilities in Windhoek district with the same signs and
symptoms All suspected patients tested negative for hepatitis A B and C A total of 41 of
the 237 cases were sent for further testing and on 8 January 2018 the results showed 21
were IgM positive for hepatitis E WHO
top of page
Nigeria 3 die from Lassa fever in Ebonyi State
16 January - Four cases of Lassa fever were reported among health care workers in Ebonyi
State in southeastern Nigeria with three passing away from the lethal viral disease
the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) said The Honorable Minister of Health
Professor Isaac Adewole immediately requested that NCDC provides support to the
Government of Ebonyi State to investigate and respond to this cluster of cases
Outbreak News Today
top of page
South Africa Cape Town slashes water use amid drought
18 January - The South African city of Cape Town will slash residents water allowance to 50
litres a day from next month amid fears that it could become the worlds first major city to
run out of water The city had reached a point of no return Mayor Patricia de Lille said
Cape Town a popular tourist destination has been hit by its worst drought in a century Ms
De Lille warned that the city risked reaching Day Zero on 21 April when taps in homes
could run dry We can no longer ask people to stop wasting water We must force them
she said at a press conference Despite our urging for months 60 of Capetonians are
callously using more than 87 litres per day she added referring to the current daily limit A
person uses about 15 litres per minute for a typical shower and the same amount when
flushing a standard toilet according to WaterWise a South African water usage awareness
campaign BBC News
top of page
South Sudan Rift Valley fever suspected in South Sudan
VHF cluster 2 cases reported
16 January - Preliminary indications into South Sudans recent viral hemorrhagic fever
outbreak suggest that Rift Valley fever (RVF) may be the cause the World Health
17
Organization (WHO) Regional Office for Africa said in its latest outbreak and health
emergencies update The initial cluster included three patients from the same area of
Eastern Lakes state who had similar symptoms and died from their infections in December
hellip [T]wo more suspected human cases have been reported and involve an 18-year-old
pregnant woman who is a contact of a patient in the initial cluster and a 14-year-old girl
from a neighboring village who had no epidemiologic links to the original three cluster
patients State and national task forces have been activated The WHO said surveillance in
humans and animals needs to be strengthened in the area while efforts continue to confirm
the cause of the outbreak CIDRAP New Scan (first item)
top of page
Uganda Doctors in Uganda warn crisis level blood
shortage is putting lives at risk
16 January - Uganda is grappling with a critical shortage of blood that is affecting services
and putting patientsrsquo lives at risk The health ministryrsquos blood bank facility in the capital
Kampala which stores and distributes supplies to hospitals is practically empty It has just
150 units of blood remaining not enough to meet requirements on an average day in the
city Nationally Uganda needs at least 340000 units of safe blood annually but usually only
collects 200000 a year A six-day countrywide blood collection drive was launched by the
ministry on Monday The Uganda Medical Association an umbrella organisation of doctors
in public health facilities said the shortage was ldquoalmost [at] crisis levelrdquo resulting in the
cancellation of hospital operations and prioritisation of cases The Guardian
top of page
United Republic of Tanzania Cholera
12 January - From 15 August 2015 through 7 January 2018 33421 cases including 542
deaths (case fatality rate = 162) have been reported across all 26 regions of the United
Republic of Tanzania (Tanzania mainland and Zanzibar) Tanzania mainland has reported
86 of the total cases in this outbreak Children under five years old accounted for 114 of
cases Since the beginning of the outbreak over 7000 specimens have been tested for
cholera and 47 were positive for Vibrio cholerae by culture From 1 January 2017 through
31 December 4985 cases including 99 deaths have been reported in Tanzania Mainland
and Zanzibar The number of cases as well as geographical spread of cholera has markedly
reduced compared to the two previous years WHO
top of page
Zambia Zambia relaxes restrictions as cholera outbreak
slows
14 January - Zambia on Sunday relaxed rules imposed to curb the spread of cholera as the
number of new cases being reported has halved Health Minister Chitalu Chilufya said
Schools and some markets will be allowed to re-open Chilufya told a news conference in
Lusaka Police arrested 55 people in the capital on Friday after residents rioted over a curfew
18
and ban on street vending The outbreak has killed 74 people since Oct 4 including 68 in
Lusaka Chilufya said The number of new cases has fallen to around 80 from 164 a week
ago Of the more than 3200 cases reported in total more than 3000 have been in Lusaka
All government and private schools will re-open on Jan 22 but Zambiarsquos two largest public
universities will remain closed for now President Edgar Lungu last month directed the
military to clean markets and unblock drains to help to fight the spread of the waterborne
disease Reuters
top of page
USCENTCOM
Yemen UN hopes imports will help stave off famine in
Yemen as diphtheria spreads
16 January - United Nations aid agencies called on Tuesday for the Yemeni port of
Hodeidah to remain open beyond Friday the date set by a Saudi-led military coalition to
permit continued delivery of life-saving goods Yemen is the worldrsquos worst humanitarian
crisis where 83 million people are entirely dependent on external food aid and 400000
children suffer from severe acute malnutrition a potentially lethal condition they said hellip
More than 11 million Yemeni children - virtually all - need humanitarian assistance Relano
said UNICEF figures show 25000 Yemeni babies die at birth or before the age of one
month hellip A diphtheria outbreak in Yemen is ldquospreading quicklyrdquo with 678 cases and 48
associated deaths in four months Fadela Chaib of the World Health Organisation said
Reuters
top of page
USEUCOM
Ukraine Ukraine conflict has increased spread of HIV in
silent epidemic
16 January - The conflict in eastern Ukraine has increased the
spread of HIV throughout the country as people have been
uprooted by the violence a new study finds hellip Ukraine has
among the highest HIV rates in Europe with an estimated
220000 infected in a country of about 45 million hellip The study
says the HIV crisis in Ukraine has become a silent epidemic because half of HIV-infected
people are unaware they have the infection and around 40 percent of newly diagnosed
people are in the later stages of the disease hellip [A]n international team of scientists hellip
analyzed viral migration patterns in Ukraine from 2012 to 2015 They found a correlation
between the movement of 17 million people uprooted by the war and the spread of HIV
19
hellip The HIV epidemic has shifted from being associated with drug injections in the 1990s to
most new infections now being spread by sexual transmission the study found
Radio Free EuropeRadio Liberty
top of page
United Kingdom Britain appoints minister for loneliness
amid growing isolation
17 January - Britain has appointed a minister for loneliness to take forward the work of
murdered lawmaker Jo Cox and tackle the isolation felt by more than one in ten people in
the UK Sports minister Tracey Crouch will take on the new role [to] develop a strategy to
address the problem which research has linked with dementia early mortality and high
blood pressure hellip The majority of people over 75 live alone and about 200000 older people
in the UK have not had a conversation with a friend or relative in more than a month
according to government data Most doctors in Britain see between one and five patients a
day who have come mainly because they are lonely according to the Campaign to End
Loneliness Reuters
top of page
United Kingdom Measles outbreak spreading across
England warn health officials
16 January - Public health experts are urging parents to immunise their children against
measles as the potentially deadly bug has now spread to five regions in England With more
than 100 cases confirmed Public Health England warns that the UK could be on the verge
of an outbreak due to a rise in cases across Europe People who have recently visited
Romania Italy and Germany and have not been fully immunised against measles via the
MMR vaccine may be most at risk they said hellip However not all cases are being spread by
those who have visited countries included in the European outbreak a spokesperson for
Public Health England told The Independent We know that measles cases are showing a
link to importation from Europe where there are ongoing outbreaks but the cases are also
spreading within the UK in under-vaccinated communities they explained
The Independent
top of page
United Kingdom UK drugs regulator plays down Brexit
disruption threat
16 January - Britainrsquos drugs regulator said on Tuesday it would work to minimise disruption
caused by the country leaving the European Union as it tried to allay some of the worst
fears of pharmaceutical companies The highly regulated drugs industry is concerned about
Brexit fallout as the European Medicines Agency (EMA) relocates from London to
Amsterdam creating uncertainty about drug approvals after 2019 The Medicines and
Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) said in an update on its website that it
20
hoped to have a continuing relationship with the EMA after Brexit but if this did not happen
it would be ldquopragmaticrdquo in setting UK drug rules hellip The agency also noted that London and
Brussels agreed last month that ldquogoods placed on the market under Union law before the
withdrawal date may freely circulate on the markets of the UK and the Union with no need
for product modifications or re-labellingrdquo The Association of the British Pharmaceutical
Industry hellip warned that planning for a scenario where Britain had a separate regulatory
system required further detail Reuters
top of page
USNORTHCOM
US FDA expects IV fluid shortage to improve in coming
weeks months
16 January - The US Food and Drug Administration said on Tuesday it expects a shortage
of intravenous saline fluids for hospitals due to damage to key manufacturing facilities in
Puerto Rico to improve over the coming weeks and months FDA Commissioner Scott
Gottlieb said that the FDA has approved IV saline products from more companies which is
expected to boost US supply He said the tight supply of saline products had been
exacerbated by increased demand as a result of a worse-than-normal flu season At the
same time Gottlieb said the agency is concerned about a potential shortage of IV
containers as demand for empty IV containers increases as an alternative to filled bags
Reuters
top of page
US Mapping how the opioid epidemic sparked an HIV
outbreak
14 January - When people started to show up to Dr William Cookes primary care office in
Austin Ind in 2014 with HIV Cooke knew it was probably related to the regions opioid
epidemic But what he and the rest of the public health community didnt know was who
they were missing or how long the HIV outbreak had been going on Now theyve got a
clearer picture mdash literally In visualizations published in the Journal of Infectious Diseases
dots and lines define the constellations of Indianas HIV outbreak Using genetic
sequencing they show how long the outbreak had been going on connected people who
hadnt previously been linked by traditional methods and showed how the virus jumped
from a slowly spreading infection to a virus transmitted quickly via needle sharing and
other smaller sub-epidemics NPR
top of page
21
US More $$ needed for health emergencies senators
told 17 January - The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) needs more funding to
effectively prepare for public health emergencies an HHS official said at a Senate hearing
Wednesday We cant do more things with limited resources Robert Kadlec MD HHS
assistant secretary for preparedness and response told members of the Senate Health
Education Labor amp Pensions (HELP) Committee hellip We have a $33 trillion healthcare
system of which we invest $250 million for preparedness Its just a drop in the bucket
The hearing focused on the pending reauthorization of the Pandemic and All-Hazards
Preparedness Act (PAHPA) a 2006 law that established Kadlecs position at HHS and
implemented several programs aimed at getting the nation ready for emergencies such as
developing and acquiring drugs and vaccines to be used when needed MedPage Today
top of page
US National Academies report endorses lower BAC
higher alcohol taxes 18 January - Getting to Zero Alcohol-Impaired Driving Fatalities a new report from the
National Academies of Sciences Engineering and Medicine recommends reducing state
laws criminalizing alcohol-impaired driving from 008 to 005 percent blood alcohol
concentration (BAC) increasing alcohol taxes significantly and other actions to address the
persistent problem of alcohol-impaired driving deaths There are more than 10000 alcohol-
impaired driving fatalities annually in the United States and the report says stakeholders
that range from transportation systems to alcohol retailers to law enforcement should join
forces to implement policies and systems to eliminate these preventable deaths The
committee that conducted the study and wrote the report recommended a number of
actions lowering state laws on BAC raising alcohol taxes significantly strengthening policies
to prevent illegal alcohol sales to people under 21 and to already intoxicated adults
enacting all-offender ignition interlock laws and providing effective treatment for offenders
when needed Occupational Health and Safety
top of page
US NIH study shows steep increase in rate of alcohol-
related ER visits 12 January - The rate of alcohol-related visits to US emergency departments (ED) increased
by nearly 50 percent between 2006 and 2014 especially among females and drinkers who
are middle-aged or older according to a new study conducted by researchers at the
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) part of the National Institutes
of Health hellip These increases far outpaced changes in the number and rate of ED visits for
any cause during the years studied hellip Although men account for more alcohol-related ED
visits than women the rate of such visits increased more among females than males (53
percent versus 40 percent annually) over the study period NIH
top of page
22
US Number of Americans without health insurance
grows in Trumps first year new figures show 16 January - The number of Americans without health coverage which declined for years
after passage of the Affordable Care Act shot up in President Trumprsquos first year in office
according to data from a new national survey At the end of 2017 122 of US adults
lacked health insurance up from 109 at the end of 2016 as President Obama was
completing his final term The increase of 13 percentage points although modest marks
the first time since at least 2008 that the share of adults without insurance increased from
the previous year hellip The increase indicates that 32 million Americans lost health coverage
in 2017 Gallup concluded Los Angeles Times
top of page
US The Big Number 3500 infants die of sleep-related
issues 13 January - Thatrsquos the number of babies in the United States who die each year as the
result of a sleep-related issue according to a new report from the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention The causes vary but child health experts believe many of the
deaths would be preventable if more parents adhered to safe-sleep practices For instance
babies should be placed on their backs to sleep but the CDC found that 22 percent of
moms placed babies on their side or stomach Soft bedding mdash blankets pillows bumper
pads mdash should be kept out of the sleep area but 39 percent of moms said they used soft
bedding And itrsquos a good idea to share a room with an infant but not a bed with a baby Still
61 percent of moms told the CDC they had slept with their babies The Washington Post
top of page
US US faces oversupply of antibiotic-free chicken -
Sanderson Farms 16 January - Supplies of chicken raised without antibiotics are outstripping demand a major
US poultry producer said on Tuesday a sign of overproduction that could eat into
processorsrsquo profits Large chicken and restaurant companies including Tyson Foods Inc and
McDonaldrsquos Corp have raced to cut antibiotics from poultry supplies as public health
experts have warned about the link between use of the drugs in farms and the rise of drug-
resistant bacteria Antibiotic-free chickens made up an average of 405 percent of all fresh
US production for the first 10 months of 2017 Sanderson Farms Inc said in a regulatory
filing However only 64 percent of sales were for products sold as antibiotic-free (ABF)
according to Sanderson the third-largest US poultry producer Reuters
top of page
US US government to shield health workers under
religious freedom 18 January - The US government is seeking to further protect the ldquoconscience and religious
23
freedomrdquo of health workers whose beliefs prevent them from carrying out abortions and
other procedures in an effort likely to please conservative Christian activists and other
supporters of President Donald Trump The US Department of Health and Human Services
said on Thursday it will create a division within its Office of Civil Rights to give it ldquothe focus it
needs to more vigorously and effectively enforce existing laws protecting the rights of
conscience and religious freedomrdquo Healthcare workers hospitals with religious affiliations
and medical students among others have been ldquobulliedrdquo by the federal government to
provide these services despite existing laws on religious and conscience rights the top HHS
official said Reuters
top of page
USPACOM
Bangladesh Cold wave
12 January - Severe cold wave is sweeping over Bangladesh It was recorded the lowest in
Bangladeshrsquos history at 26 degrees yesterday in Tetulia Rangpur division hellip According to
the MET office the cold wave is likely to continue till January 14 and one or two more cold
waves are expected later this month hellip The cold wave has disrupted the lives of many in
northern Bangladesh Poor people particularly the farmers and rickshaw-pullers have been
affected badly Children and elderly people are the worst affected Twenty-seven (27)
persons have been reported dead ReliefWeb
top of page
Indonesia Indonesia sends military to help fight health
crisis in Papua
17 January - Indonesia is deploying military paramedics to carry food and vaccines to a
remote part of its easternmost province of Papua where reports say at least 61 infants died
from malnutrition and diseases such as measles hellip The situation in the remote Asmat
regency was an ldquoextraordinary incidentrdquo the health ministry said in a statement adding that
it was sending 39 health workers there The Indonesian military has sent 53 personnel
including paramedics besides medical equipment vaccines and 11100 packages of instant
food it added hellip ldquoThere is a link between the malnutrition and (catching) other diseasesrdquo
[Health Minister Nila] Moeloek added ldquoIf yoursquore undernourished you will get those
diseasesrdquo Reuters
top of page
Philippines Sanofi will reimburse Philippines
government for unused Dengvaxia
16 January - Yesterday Sanofi Pasteur the French pharmaceutical giant announced it will
reimburse the Philippines government for unused doses of Dengvaxia its controversial
24
dengue vaccine The announcement comes weeks after the company recommended the
vaccine not be used in people without prior dengue infections as it may prime dengue-
naive recipients for more severe infections More than 800000 Filipino children had already
received Dengvaxia when the recommendation was made Sanofi Pasteur has responded
positively to the Philippine Department of Healths (DoH) request that we provide
reimbursement for the doses of Dengvaxia that were not used by the government in the
public vaccination program the company said CIDRAP News Scan (third item)
top of page
USSOUTHCOM
Brazil WHO recommends yellow fever shot to Sao Paulo
visitors
16 January - The World Health Organization said on Tuesday that the whole of Sao Paulo
state which includes Brazilrsquos largest city Sao Paulo should be considered at risk for yellow
fever and recommended foreign travelers get vaccinated before visiting But Brazilrsquos Health
Ministry said the WHO recommendation coming just weeks before Carnival when tens of
thousands of tourists descend on Brazil would not cause it to change its advisory that only
travelers going to rural areas need to get vaccinated Deputy Health Minister Antonio Carlos
Nardi said Carnival celebrations in February were in urban areas and that visitors would not
be at risk if they stayed in cities Nardi said the number of cases had risen again this year
but that there was no outbreak of yellow fever in the country Reuters
top of page
25
US Military | Global | Influenza | VeterinaryFood Safety | Wellness | Contact Us
USAFRICOM | USCENTCOM | USEUCOM | USNORTHCOM | USPACOM | USSOUTHCOM
The Army Public Health Weekly Update does not analyze the information as to its strategic or tactical impact on the US Army and is not a medical
intelligence product Medical intelligence is available from the National Center for Medical Intelligence
External Links The appearance of external hyperlinks does not constitute endorsement by the US Army of this Web site or the information products
or services contained therein For other than authorized activities such as military exchanges and MWR sites the US Army does not exercise any
editorial control over the information you may find at these locations Such links are provided consistent with the stated purpose of this product
Although we avoid links to sites that may be blocked all sites may not be accessible from all locations While we verify the links at the time of
publication we cannot guarantee that they will be active in the future
Articles appearing in the Update do not necessarily represent US Army Medical Command opinionsviews policy or guidance and should not be
construed or interpreted as being endorsed by the US Army Medical Command
The Army Public Health Weekly Update is published by the Public Health Information Directorate Army Public Health Center
2
Follow us
YouTube
VETERINARYFOOD SAFETY
Dozens of brands of ice cream bars now on recall for Listeria
French police search Lactalis sites after baby milk scare
Fugu freakout Dont eat the blowfish Japanese officials warn
Multistate outbreak of Salmonella infections linked to coconut tree brand frozen shredded
coconut
Pets Raw meat diets pose a risk to both animal and human health
South Africa More Listeriosis cases and deaths Whatrsquos being done
The parasite on the playground
WELLNESS
Current cigarette smoking among adults mdash United States 2016
Cycling does not harm mens sexual health study says
Obesity shaved almost a year off US life expectancy study says
Researchers probe stomach surgeryrsquos lsquomiraclersquo secrets
Wal-Mart launches program to safely dispose of unused opioids
USAFRICOM
Democratic Republic of the Congo Five cases of vaccine-derived polio detected in DRC
Namibia Hepatitis E
Nigeria 3 die from Lassa fever in Ebonyi State
South Africa Cape Town slashes water use amid drought
South Sudan Rift Valley fever suspected in South Sudan VHF cluster 2 cases reported
Uganda Doctors in Uganda warn crisis level blood shortage is putting lives at risk
United Republic of Tanzania Cholera
Zambia Zambia relaxes restrictions as cholera outbreak slows
USCENTCOM
Yemen UN hopes imports will help stave off famine in Yemen as diphtheria spreads
USEUCOM
Ukraine Ukraine conflict has increased spread of HIV in silent epidemic
United Kingdom Britain appoints minister for loneliness amid growing isolation
United Kingdom Measles outbreak spreading across England warn health officials
United Kingdom UK drugs regulator plays down Brexit disruption threat
USNORTHCOM
US FDA expects IV fluid shortage to improve in coming weeks months
US Mapping how the opioid epidemic sparked an HIV outbreak
US More $$ needed for health emergencies senators told
US National Academies report endorses lower BAC higher alcohol taxes
US NIH study shows steep increase in rate of alcohol-related ER visits
US Number of Americans without health insurance grows in Trumps first year new figures
show
US The Big Number 3500 infants die of sleep-related issues
US US faces oversupply of antibiotic-free chicken - Sanderson Farms
US US government to shield health workers under religious freedom
USPACOM
Bangladesh Cold wave
Indonesia Indonesia sends military to help fight health crisis in Papua
3
Philippines Sanofi will reimburse Philippines government for unused Dengvaxia
USSOUTHCOM
Brazil WHO recommends yellow fever shot to Sao Paulo visitors
US MILITARY
Ex-commanders face negligent homicide charges over
deadly Navy collisions
16 January - The US Navy announced Tuesday that the former commanding officers of the
USS Fitzgerald and USS John S McCain -- the ships involved in two deadly 2017 collisions
that killed 17 sailors -- will face criminal charges including dereliction of duty hazarding a
vessel and negligent homicide The USS McCains commanding officer was Cmdr Alfredo J
Sanchez while the USS Fitzgeralds commanding officer was Cmdr Bryce Benson After
careful deliberation today Adm Frank Caldwell announced that Uniform Code of Military
Justice charges are being preferred against individual service members in relation to the
collisions a Navy statement said CNN
top of page
FDA to speed review of medical products for use by
military
16 January - The US Food and Drug Administration and Department of Defense launched a
program on Tuesday to speed the development and review of medical products needed by
the military such as freeze-dried plasma that could prevent wounded troops from bleeding
to death The move follows a dispute between the FDA and the defense department over a
provision in the annual defense authorization bill that would have allowed the Pentagon to
authorize the emergency use of drugs and medical devices that have not been approved by
the FDA The US Senate and House of Representatives ultimately passed a bill leaving
authority to approve new medical products with the FDA but which authorizes the defense
department to request that the FDA bumps up certain products to the top of its review list
The defense departmentrsquos top priorities include freeze-dried plasma cold-stored platelets
and cryopreserved platelets Reuters
top of page
Insomnia and motor vehicle accidentndashrelated injuries
active component US Armed Forces 2007ndash2016
December 2017 - Insomnia is the most common sleep disorder in adults and its incidence is
increasing in the US Armed Forces A potential consequence of insomnia (including
medications used to treat it) is increased risk of motor vehicle accidents (MVAs) which
cause significant morbidity and mortality in service members To examine the relationship
between insomnia and MVA-related injuries in the US Armed Forces this retrospective
4
Classified Version of
the Weekly Update
An Army Public Health
Weekly Update is available
with articles classified up to
the SECRET level from the
USAPHC SIPRNet site
httpphcarmysmilmil
Look under Hot Topics amp
Current Issues
To access this version you
will need a SECRET
clearance and a SIPRNet
account
Links
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(AKO)
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cohort study compared incidence rates of MVA-related injuries from 2007 through 2016
between service members with diagnosed insomnia and an unexposed cohort After
adjustment for multiple covariates service members with insomnia had more than double
the rate of MVA-related injuries compared to service members without insomnia A
subanalysis of service members with insomnia during 2014ndash2016 found no difference in risk
of MVA-related injury based on days supply of sleep aid medications prescribed in 365
days following insomnia diagnosis Medical Surveillance Monthly Report
top of page
Navy to pay to protect water supply after chemicals
found in Whidbey Island wells
17 January - The Navy will foot the bill for a filter system to protect the Coupeville water
supply from chemicals found in firefighting foam used at an airstrip near the Whidbey
Island town The action announced Tuesday is part of a broader Defense Department effort
mdash in Washington and elsewhere mdash to track pollution plumes from firefighting foam used at
military installations and offer assistance when the chemicals have been detected in
drinking-water supplies On Whidbey Island the Navy will pay to design install and operate
a filter system to treat perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances mdash or PFAS One of
these chemicals was found in a Coupeville drinking-water well at just below the 70 parts per
trillion lifetime exposure guideline set by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
Seattle Times
top of page
US Army medical research lab gets fast track approval
from FDA for malaria drug
16 January - The US Army Medical Materiel Development Activity here has received a Fast
Track designation from the US Food and Drug Administration for the development of
Tafenoquine a potential anti-malaria drug for adults Achieving FDA licensure of
Tafenoquine will provide a significant improvement over the current measures of malaria
prevention for US forces said Dr Lawrence Lightner project manager for the
Pharmaceutical Systems Project Management Office at USAMMDA Tafenoquine is only
required to be administered weekly while current preventive measures are required daily
and it protects against all forms of malaria Armymil
top of page
GLOBAL
Black Death spread by humans not rats
15 January - Rats were not to blame for the spread of plague during the Black Death
according to a study The rodents and their fleas were thought to have spread a series of
5
outbreaks in 14th-19th Century Europe But a team from the universities of Oslo and Ferrara
now says the first the Black Death can be largely ascribed to human fleas and body lice
The study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science uses records of its
pattern and scale [Researchers created] three models where the disease was spread by rats
airborne transmission fleas and lice that live on humans and their clothes In seven out of
the nine cities studied the human parasite model was a much better match for the pattern
of the outbreak It mirrored how quickly it spread and how many people it affected The
conclusion was very clear said Prof Stenseth The lice model fits best BBC News
top of page
Ebola vaccine proves effective in non-human primate
challenge 17 January - A single-dose modified vaccinia Ankara Ebola vaccine protected macaques
from Ebola virus after experimental infection hellip In the study 12 primates were challenged
with Ebola virus Makona strain in both a prime and booster dose While six control animals
contracted Ebola virus the immunized monkeys all showed high levels of Ebola
immunoglobulin G (IgG) and did not contract the virus This is the first study to demonstrate
the effectiveness of a novel recombinant modified vaccinia Ankara (MVA)-based vaccine
containing Ebola-like particles hellip The MVA-EBOV vaccine could be very usefulmdashnot only
for containing an outbreak by emergency immunization but as a routine vaccine for a
target population in EBOV endemic areas the authors wrote
CIDRAP News Scan (fourth item)
top of page
Hold the salt gut reaction may impair the brains of mice 18 January - We are often warned of the dangers of high levels of salt in our diet yet the
risks of salt consumption and the effects of salt on the body including the brain are not
entirely clear In a new mouse study scientists link changes in the gut caused by a high-salt
diet to impaired blood flow in the brain This reduced blood flow can eventually lead to
impaired cognition that could be reversed by changing back to a normal diet hellip In this
study mice were fed a high-salt diet (HSD) containing 16 times the amount of sodium
chloride typically found in their food After eight weeks their brains showed a 20 to 30
percent reduction in blood flow compared to mice that ate normal food This drop in blood
flow was accompanied by the appearance of dementia-like symptoms including defects in
the ability of HSD mice to recognize objects navigate a maze and properly build a nest
When the mice were returned to a normal diet both blood flow and cognition improved
suggesting that the negative effects of excessive salt consumption could be reversible NIH
top of page
NIH scientists find microbes on the skin of mice promote
tissue healing immunity 18 January - Beneficial bacteria on the skin of lab mice work with the animalsrsquo immune
systems to defend against disease-causing microbes and accelerate wound healing
6
according to new research from scientists at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious
Diseases part of the National Institutes of Health Researchers say untangling similar
mechanisms in humans may improve approaches to managing skin wounds and treating
other damaged tissues NIH
top of page
Repeated head hits not just concussions may lead to a
type of chronic brain damage
18 January - We live in an age of heightened awareness about concussions From
battlefields around the world to football fields in the US weve heard about the dangers
caused when the brain rattles around inside the skull and the possible link between
concussions and the degenerative brain disease chronic traumatic encephalopathy hellip But
now a high-powered team of researchers says all that focus on concussions may be missing
the mark A [new] study hellip presents the strongest case yet that repetitive hits to the head
that dont lead to concussions mdashmeaning no loss of consciousness or other symptoms that
can include headaches dizziness vision problems or confusion mdash cause CTE Weve had an
inkling that subconcussive hits mdash the ones that dont [show] neurological signs and
symptoms mdash may be associated with CTE says Dr Lee Goldstein an associate professor of
psychiatry at the Boston University School of Medicine and the lead investigator on the
study We now have solid scientific evidence to say that is so NPR
top of page
Study identifies malaria resistance genes possible drug
targets
16 January - A new study of drug resistance in the parasite responsible for roughly half of all
malaria cases worldwide has identified more than 80 genes that contribute to resistance
some of which could provide important information for drug development researchers say
CIDRAP
top of page
UK study finds surfers more likely to be colonized with
resistant bacteria
17 January - A first-of-its-kind study combining surveillance of antibiotic-resistant bacteria
in bathing waters and human exposure estimates has found that surfers are more likely to
be colonized by drug-resistant bacteria than non-surfers hellip The study hellip aimed to estimate
the prevalence of Escherichia coli harboring the extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL)
gene blaCTX-M in waters along the UK coastline CTX-M genes represent nearly 80 of
ESBLs in clinical isolates and can encode resistance to multiple antibiotics Previous research
has indicated that ingesting seawater containing antibiotic-resistant E coli is associated with
gut colonization by these bacteria and that swimming is a risk factor for urinary tract
infections caused by ESBL-producing bacteria hellip While surfers colonised by potentially
7
pathogenic [antibiotic-resistant bacteria] may by asymptomatic gut bacteria are a major
source of infection and these bacteria may cause problems if colonised individuals develop
a health condition in the future that makes them more susceptible to infections the
authors write CIDRAP StewardshipResistance Scan (second item)
top of page
ZIKA VIRUS
Brazil study hints at dengue cross-protection in Zikas
wake
17 January - An outbreak of Zika virus in 2015 in Brazil may have provided some cross-
protection against dengue infection according to researchers who studied disease
surveillance data in a slum community of Salvador the countrys fourth-largest city
Before 2015 positive tests for dengue virus followed annual second- or third-quarter peaks
However they saw a much smaller peak in 2015 during the Zika outbreak with dengue
positive showing no peak in 2016 and 2017 The frequency of confirmed dengue in patients
with febrile illness fell from 25 before the Zika epidemic to 3 after the outbreak
However over the same period the percentage of patients who tested positive for
chikungunya virus infection increased significantly from 7 before the Zika epidemic to
20 after suggesting that the environmental conditions including mosquito populations
were still in place after the Zika epidemic CIDRAP News Scan (second item)
top of page
Brazilian studies highlight Zika microcephaly patterns
16 January - A new case-control study based in one of
Brazils Zika hot spots reaffirmed the link between Zika and
microcephaly and offered one of the first estimates of Zika-
linked microcephaly prevalence in areas experiencing an
outbreak The study also found that timing of exposure and
evidence of infection in infants were the only risk factors a
key finding given lingering questions about whether any other factors were involved in the
unusually high levels of birth defects in Brazils outbreak Also another group that looked at
microcephaly patterns in another of Brazils hard-hit Zika regions found that microcephaly
prevalence was higher in areas marked by poorer living conditions CIDRAP
top of page
Scientists find Zika virus in 3 mosquito species not
known to carry it
17 January - Zika virus was discovered in the salivary glands of five mosquito species caught
in the wild in Mexico including three previously unreported hellip Though Aedes aegypti and
8
Ae albopictus are the main vectors of the disease (and also transmit dengue chikungunya
and yellow fever) other species have been theorized to be able to carry the Zika virus as
well Mexican researchers looked at Ae aegypti and Ae vexans as well as Culex
quinquefasciatus Cx coronator and Cx tarsalis They collected 579 mosquitoes over 5
separate days from September to November 2016 in different parts of the Guadalajara
metropolitan area They were able to isolate in cell culture Zika virus from different body
partsmdashincluding the salivary glandsmdashof female mosquitoes representing all five species and
in whole male Ae aegypti and Cx quinquefasciatus mosquitoes
CIDRAP News Scan (third item)
top of page
Zika infection during pregnancy may disrupt fetal oxygen
supply 18 January - Zika virus infection appears to affect oxygen delivery to the fetuses of pregnant
monkeys according to a small study Researchers also observed a high degree of
inflammation in the placenta and lining of the uterus which can harm the fetal immune
system and increase a newborns susceptibility to additional infections hellip [Researchers] used
non-invasive imaging to evaluate how persistent Zika infection affects pregnancy in five
rhesus macaques The team found that the virus induces high levels of inflammation in the
blood vessels of the uterus and damages placental villi the branch-like growths that help
transfer oxygen and nutrients from maternal blood to the fetus The researchers suggest
that this damage may disrupt oxygen transport to the fetus which can restrict its growth
and lead to stillbirth among other conditions NIH
top of page
INFLUENZA
AFHSB DoD Seasonal Influenza Surveillance Summary For Week 1
NORTHCOM Influenza activity continued to increase with the majority of states
experiencing moderate to high activity
EUCOM Influenza activity in EUCOM increased and ranged from minimal to high
depending on the country
PACOM Influenza activity continued to increase throughout PACOM and was high
in Hawaii and the Republic of Korea
CENTCOM and AFRICOM Since week 48 TMDS data has not been sent to AFHSB
Therefore the CENTCOM map and figure are not presented as the data will be
incomplete
SOUTHCOM Since week 48 TMDS data has not been sent to AFHSB Therefore
SOUTHCOM data is incomplete and will not be provided
top of page
9
APHC US Army Influenza Activity Report
For the week ending 6 January 2018 (week 1)
In week 1 722 influenza A-positive specimens were reported by Army medical treatment
facilities which is a 45 increase from the 498 positive influenza A specimens reported in
week 52 This influenza season is on track to be one of the most active according to the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) To decrease the spread of flu ill Service
Members should be placed on quarters and the flu vaccine should be administered to
unvaccinated individuals Furthermore the CDC recommends taking antivirals within 48
hours of symptom onset to lessen the symptoms of the flu for those that do become ill
APHC
top of page
CDC Flu View - Weekly US Influenza Surveillance
Report
During week 1 (December 31 2017-January 6 2018) influenza activity increased in the
United States
Viral Surveillance The most frequently identified influenza virus subtype reported
by public health laboratories during week 1 was influenza A(H3) The percentage of
respiratory specimens testing positive for influenza in clinical laboratories remained
elevated
Pneumonia and Influenza Mortality The proportion of deaths attributed to
pneumonia and influenza (PampI) was at the system-specific epidemic threshold in the
National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) Mortality Surveillance System
Influenza-associated Pediatric Deaths Seven influenza-associated pediatric deaths
were reported CDC
top of page
ECDC Flu News Europe
Week 12018 (1ndash7 January 2018)
Influenza activity was increasing in countries in northern southern and western
Europe
Both influenza type A and B viruses were co-circulating and different patterns of
circulation were observed across countries in the Region
Of the individuals sampled on presenting with ILI or ARI to sentinel primary
healthcare sites 42 tested positive for influenza viruses similar to the 44 in the
previous week
EuroMOMO data showed excess mortality in the elderly (gt65 years of age) for the
United-Kingdom (Scotland) Spain and Portugal
European Center for Disease Prevention and ControlWHO
top of page
10
For CDC reducing flu spread takes priority over nuclear
attack preparedness
15 January - The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention changed the topic of a nuclear
strike preparedness session opting to focus on a widespread flu outbreak The Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention has postponed a planned Tuesday session on nuclear attack
preparedness deciding instead to focus the workshop on influenza The agency announced
the switch in topics late Friday citing the spike in flu cases as the reason for the pivot To
date this influenza season is notable for the sheer volume of flu that most of the United
States is seeing at the same time which can stress health systems according to a CDC
statement The vast majority of this activity has been caused by influenza A H3N2
associated with severe illness in young children and people 65 years and older NPR
top of page
NHRC Operational Infectious Diseases - Weekly
Surveillance Report
11 January - Febrile respiratory illness cases
Military Recruits - 24 positive of 33 tested
CDC Border Infectious Disease Surveillance and Zika Surveillance - 122 positive of
157 tested
DoD Beneficiaries ndash 12 positive of 21 tested Naval Health Research Center
top of page
lsquoSmart thermometersrsquo track flu season in real time
16 January ndash A company making ldquosmart thermometersrdquo that upload body temperatures to
its website claims to be tracking this yearrsquos flu season faster and in greater geographic detail
than public health authorities can This yearrsquos flu season mdash which the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention considers ldquomoderately severerdquo mdash has left Missouri and Iowa the
ldquosickest states in the countryrdquo said Inder Singh the founder of Kinsahealthcom California
has had its worst outbreak in five years with nearly 1 percent of the state exhibiting flu
symptoms on Jan 2 he added By contrast New York New England and the Southeast have
had relatively mild seasons so far but cases are rising and should peak in two weeks Mr
Singhrsquos data paints a different picture from that of the CDC which held a news conference
Friday to announce that flu activity was ldquowidespreadrdquo across the continental United States
which is unusual The New York Times
top of page
Study reveals more H1N1 deaths in those exposed to 57
pandemic
17 January - hellip [Researchers have] found more evidence that exposure to a pandemic strain
can make people more susceptible to the next pandemic strainmdashif the viruses are greatly
11
different from each other hellip For the 2009 H1N1 pandemic season the investigators found
peaks in death rates in people from [United States and Mexico] who were 52 years old
corresponding with a birth year of 1957 when the H2N2 Asian flu pandemic occurred The
team said the vulnerability that they and others have noted in subsequent pandemics marks
an unappreciated risk factor and has all the markings of a cohort effect showing the value
of studying flu deaths by individual birth year instead of very large age-groups The findings
suggest that increased pandemic deaths in people primed in early life by viruses that have
little to no antigenic overlap with new pandemic or seasonal viruses might result in
responses that increase the pathogenicity of the disease possibly compromising lung
function the group wrote CIDRAP
top of page
USAFSAM amp DHA DoD Global Laboratory-Based
Influenza Surveillance Program During 17 - 30 December 2017 (Surveillance Weeks 51 amp 52) a total of 434 specimens were
collected and received from 58 locations Results were finalized for 396 specimens from 57
locations During Week 51 there were 115 influenza viruses detected 88 influenza A(H3N2)
(including two coinfections) 11 influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 and 16 influenza B (including two
coinfections) During Week 51 the influenza percent positive was approximately 38
During Week 52 there were 44 influenza viruses detected 35 influenza A(H3N2) (including
two coinfections) two influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 (including one coinfection) and seven
influenza B viruses (including one coinfection) The influenza percent positive was
approximately 49 during Week 52 The influenza percent positive for the season is 17
US Air Force School of Aerospace Medicine amp Defense Health Agency
top of page
VETERINARYFOOD SAFETY
Dozens of brands of ice cream bars now on recall for
Listeria 14 January - A Listeria-related ice cream bar recall that started Jan 5 with less than 400
cases of frozen treats now includes additional flavors and brands totaling close to 29000
cases sent to more than 35 retail chains across the country No illnesses have been
confirmed in connection with the ice cream products However finished samples tested
positive for Listeria monocytogenes before the initial recall and more samples have tested
positive since then spurring Fieldbrook Foods Corp to broaden its recall hellip Officials are
concerned that consumers and entities along the food supply chain may still have the
recalled ice cream treats in their freezers hellip ldquoThere is no evidence of any contamination
prior to Oct 31 2017 but the company has issued the recall back to Jan 1 2017 through
an abundance of caution and in full cooperation with the FDA (Food and Drug
Administration)rdquo according to the recall notice posted on the FDA website
Food Safety News
top of page
12
French police search Lactalis sites after baby milk scare
17 January -French police were searching several sites belonging to dairy producer Lactalis
on Wednesday following a salmonella contamination scare that prompted a global recall of
several baby food products a source at the Paris prosecutorrsquos office said The scandal
deepened this month when it emerged some of the recalled baby foods had still made their
way onto shop shelves in a number of supermarket chains The Paris prosecutor opened a
preliminary probe into the salmonella contamination scare in late December Reuters
top of page
Fugu freakout Dont eat the blowfish Japanese officials
warn
16 January - Officials in the central Japanese city of Gamagori
are warning residents not to eat blowfish purchased from a
local supermarket after potentially deadly parts of the fish were
inadvertently sold The market sold five packages of fish
without removing their livers which can contain a potent
neurotoxin Three of the packages of fish have been recovered
by authorities but two others remain at large hellip Eating fugu liver can paralyze motor
nerves and in a serious case cause respiratory arrest leading to death regional officials
said in a warning statement Blowfish known in Japan as fugu is a highly prized delicacy
both as sashimi or as an ingredient in soup but the fishs liver ovaries and skin contain the
poison tetrodotoxin and the parts must be removed by specially trained and licensed
preparers There is no known antidote to the poison NPR
top of page
Multistate outbreak of Salmonella infections linked to
coconut tree brand frozen shredded coconut
16 January - CDC public health and regulatory officials in several states and the US Food
and Drug Administration (FDA) are investigating a multistate outbreak of Salmonella
infections hellip As of January 12 2018 25 people infected with the outbreak strains of
Salmonella I 4[5]12b- (24 people) or Salmonella Newport (1 person) have been reported
from 9 states One more ill person infected with the outbreak strain of Salmonella I
4[5]12b- has been reported from Canada hellip Illnesses started on dates ranging from May
11 2017 to November 4 2017 Ill people range in age from 1 year to 82 with a median age
of 19 Among ill people 19 (76) are male Six people (24) report being hospitalized No
deaths have been reported hellip The frozen shredded coconut linked to this outbreak was
used as an ingredient in Asian-style dessert drinks served at restaurants The product was
also sold in grocery stores and markets in several states Frozen shredded coconut can last
for several months if kept frozen and may still be in retail stores or in peoplersquos homes CDC
top of page
13
Pets Raw meat diets pose a risk to both animal and
human health
12 January - Experts are warning dog and cat owners to be
aware of the risks associated with feeding their pets raw meat-
based diets (RMBDs) instead of the more conventional dry or
canned pet foods hellip Of most concern however is the risk to
public or animal health due to contamination of RMBDs with
zoonotic bacteria and parasites that can pass between animals and humans hellip [A] team of
researchers based in The Netherlands say these diets may be contaminated with bacteria
and parasites and as such may pose a risk to both animal and human health hellip They
analysed 35 commercial frozen RMBDs from eight different brands widely available in The
Netherlands Escherichia coli O157 was isolated from eight products (23) Listeria species
were present in 15 products (43) and Salmonella species in seven products (20) Both E
coli O157 and Salmonella infections in humans have been linked with serious illnesses
Outbreak News Today
top of page
South Africa More Listeriosis cases and deaths Whatrsquos
being done
18 January - In just a matter of a few days the Listeriosis outbreak described as the ldquolargest
documented listeriosis outbreak South Africa has ever experiencedrdquo has grown by 19 cases
with a new outbreak total of 767 laboratory-confirmed listeriosis cases as of Jan 16 The
National Institute of Communicable Diseases (NICD) now puts the death toll at 81 hellip At
present the source of the outbreak is not known hellip The National Department of Health is hellip
interviewing all persons who have been diagnosed with Listeria to understand what food
they have eaten and identify trends Outbreak News Today
top of page
The parasite on the playground
16 January - Millions of American children have been
exposed to hellip parasites roundworms of the genus Toxocara
live in the intestines of cats and dogs especially strays
Microscopic eggs from Toxocara are shed in the animalsrsquo
feces contaminating yards playgrounds and sandboxes
These infectious particles cling to the hands of children
playing outside Once swallowed the eggs soon hatch releasing larvae that wriggle through
the body and evidence suggests may even reach the brain compromising learning and
cognition hellip The latest [CDC] report hellip estimated that about 5 percent of the United States
population mdash or about 16 million people mdash carry Toxocara antibodies in their blood a sign
they have ingested the eggs But the risk is not evenly shared Poor and minority
populations are more often exposed The rate among African Americans was almost 7
14
percent according to the CDC Among people living below the poverty line the infection
rate was 10 percent The New York Times
top of page
WELLNESS
Current cigarette smoking among adults mdash United States
2016
19 January - hellip The proportion of US adults who smoke cigarettes declined from 209 in
2005 (451 million smokers) to 155 in 2016 (378 million smokers) but cigarette smoking
prevalence did not change significantly during 2015ndash2016 Sociodemographic disparities in
cigarette smoking persist During 2005ndash2016 increases occurred in the proportion of adult
ever smokers who quit smoking (508 to 590) Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report
top of page
Cycling does not harm mens sexual health study says
12 January - Cycling does not negatively affect mens
sexual health or urinary function a study has found
Researchers compared cyclists with runners and
swimmers and found their sexual and urinary health was
comparable The findings contrasted with previous
studies that suggested cycling could negatively affect mens sexual function the studys
authors said They said the benefits to cycling far outweigh the risks hellip Sexual health and
urinary function were comparable in all three groups researchers said although some
cyclists were more prone to urethral strictures - a narrowing of the urethra hellip The cyclists
did have statistically significant higher odds of genital numbness the study found
BBC News
top of page
Obesity shaved almost a year off US life expectancy
study says
16 January - Rising obesity rates in the US may be responsible for as many as 186000
deaths per year according to a new analysis The US has seen only relatively modest
improvements in mortality rates over the past couple decades despite public health
victories including major reductions in smoking Death rates tied to cardiovascular disease
cancer and other chronic illnesses for example declined more slowly in the US than in any
of 13 similarly developed nations between 1999 and 2015 Researchers hellip thought rising
obesity rates might have something to do with it so they pored over two subsequent
editions of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Study (NHANES) and the
associated death records Increases in obesity according to the paper slowed gains in
15
mortality rates by 054 between 1988 and 2011 shaving an estimated 09 years off the
national life expectancy at age 40 and resulting in as many as 186000 additional deaths in
2011 alone Time
top of page
Researchers probe stomach surgeryrsquos lsquomiraclersquo secrets
17 January - Nima Saeidi an assistant professor of surgery at Harvard Medical School and
Massachusetts General Hospital and a member of the Center for Engineering in Medicine
had started down one career path when a lecture on Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery
redirected him The MGH lecture outlined not just the procedurersquos striking effectiveness for
weight loss hellip but also its promise against diabetes high blood pressure cholesterol and
fatty-food cravings hellip The idea of a compound that mimics the positives of Roux-en-Y is
particularly enticing amid twin national epidemics of obesity and diabetes The surgery
has been shown to affect insulin sensitivity and production of the hunger hormones ghrelin
and leptin It also alters the composition of a patientrsquos microbiome hellip Saeidi and colleagues
have turned to new rodent models spectroscopic instruments and novel informatics
techniques that shift inquiry from a traditional hypothesis-based step-by-step exploration
to one that seeks to reverse-engineer the problem by searching broadly for postoperative
chemical changes in the body and then working to understand them Harvard Gazette
top of page
Wal-Mart launches program to safely dispose of unused
opioids
17 January - The company said patients filling any new class II opioid prescriptions at its
pharmacies will receive a free packet of the product - called DisposeRx - when filling a new
prescription hellip People filling prescriptions at Samrsquos Club can also get DisposeRx at their
pharmacies In order to safely dispose of opioids patients would add warm water and the
DisposeRx powder to their pill bottle which then forms a biodegradable gel around the
pills Reuters
top of page
USAFRICOM
Democratic Republic of the Congo Five cases of vaccine-
derived polio detected in DRC
12 January - In an advance notification the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) said
there are five new cases of vaccine-derived polio from the Democratic Republic of the
Congo (DRC) hellip These are the first cases reported from the DRC in 2018 but illness onset
dates havent yet been recorded For 2017 there were 12 cases of circulating vaccine-
derived poliovirus type 2 (cVDPV2) in the DRC and 74 reported in Syria hellip In other polio
news Science published an article today describing the increasing number of polio
16
environmental samples found in Pakistan despite the dwindling number of human cases
The authors said the increasing samples could be sign that polio is on its last legs in that
country before eradication CIDRAP News Scan (fourth item)
top of page
Namibia Hepatitis E
15 January - During the week ending on 13 October 2017 the first identified case was
admitted to a public hospital in Windhoek district with signs and symptoms of hepatitis E
During the week ending on 8 January 2018 a total of 237 probable and confirmed cases
have been seen at various health facilities in Windhoek district with the same signs and
symptoms All suspected patients tested negative for hepatitis A B and C A total of 41 of
the 237 cases were sent for further testing and on 8 January 2018 the results showed 21
were IgM positive for hepatitis E WHO
top of page
Nigeria 3 die from Lassa fever in Ebonyi State
16 January - Four cases of Lassa fever were reported among health care workers in Ebonyi
State in southeastern Nigeria with three passing away from the lethal viral disease
the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) said The Honorable Minister of Health
Professor Isaac Adewole immediately requested that NCDC provides support to the
Government of Ebonyi State to investigate and respond to this cluster of cases
Outbreak News Today
top of page
South Africa Cape Town slashes water use amid drought
18 January - The South African city of Cape Town will slash residents water allowance to 50
litres a day from next month amid fears that it could become the worlds first major city to
run out of water The city had reached a point of no return Mayor Patricia de Lille said
Cape Town a popular tourist destination has been hit by its worst drought in a century Ms
De Lille warned that the city risked reaching Day Zero on 21 April when taps in homes
could run dry We can no longer ask people to stop wasting water We must force them
she said at a press conference Despite our urging for months 60 of Capetonians are
callously using more than 87 litres per day she added referring to the current daily limit A
person uses about 15 litres per minute for a typical shower and the same amount when
flushing a standard toilet according to WaterWise a South African water usage awareness
campaign BBC News
top of page
South Sudan Rift Valley fever suspected in South Sudan
VHF cluster 2 cases reported
16 January - Preliminary indications into South Sudans recent viral hemorrhagic fever
outbreak suggest that Rift Valley fever (RVF) may be the cause the World Health
17
Organization (WHO) Regional Office for Africa said in its latest outbreak and health
emergencies update The initial cluster included three patients from the same area of
Eastern Lakes state who had similar symptoms and died from their infections in December
hellip [T]wo more suspected human cases have been reported and involve an 18-year-old
pregnant woman who is a contact of a patient in the initial cluster and a 14-year-old girl
from a neighboring village who had no epidemiologic links to the original three cluster
patients State and national task forces have been activated The WHO said surveillance in
humans and animals needs to be strengthened in the area while efforts continue to confirm
the cause of the outbreak CIDRAP New Scan (first item)
top of page
Uganda Doctors in Uganda warn crisis level blood
shortage is putting lives at risk
16 January - Uganda is grappling with a critical shortage of blood that is affecting services
and putting patientsrsquo lives at risk The health ministryrsquos blood bank facility in the capital
Kampala which stores and distributes supplies to hospitals is practically empty It has just
150 units of blood remaining not enough to meet requirements on an average day in the
city Nationally Uganda needs at least 340000 units of safe blood annually but usually only
collects 200000 a year A six-day countrywide blood collection drive was launched by the
ministry on Monday The Uganda Medical Association an umbrella organisation of doctors
in public health facilities said the shortage was ldquoalmost [at] crisis levelrdquo resulting in the
cancellation of hospital operations and prioritisation of cases The Guardian
top of page
United Republic of Tanzania Cholera
12 January - From 15 August 2015 through 7 January 2018 33421 cases including 542
deaths (case fatality rate = 162) have been reported across all 26 regions of the United
Republic of Tanzania (Tanzania mainland and Zanzibar) Tanzania mainland has reported
86 of the total cases in this outbreak Children under five years old accounted for 114 of
cases Since the beginning of the outbreak over 7000 specimens have been tested for
cholera and 47 were positive for Vibrio cholerae by culture From 1 January 2017 through
31 December 4985 cases including 99 deaths have been reported in Tanzania Mainland
and Zanzibar The number of cases as well as geographical spread of cholera has markedly
reduced compared to the two previous years WHO
top of page
Zambia Zambia relaxes restrictions as cholera outbreak
slows
14 January - Zambia on Sunday relaxed rules imposed to curb the spread of cholera as the
number of new cases being reported has halved Health Minister Chitalu Chilufya said
Schools and some markets will be allowed to re-open Chilufya told a news conference in
Lusaka Police arrested 55 people in the capital on Friday after residents rioted over a curfew
18
and ban on street vending The outbreak has killed 74 people since Oct 4 including 68 in
Lusaka Chilufya said The number of new cases has fallen to around 80 from 164 a week
ago Of the more than 3200 cases reported in total more than 3000 have been in Lusaka
All government and private schools will re-open on Jan 22 but Zambiarsquos two largest public
universities will remain closed for now President Edgar Lungu last month directed the
military to clean markets and unblock drains to help to fight the spread of the waterborne
disease Reuters
top of page
USCENTCOM
Yemen UN hopes imports will help stave off famine in
Yemen as diphtheria spreads
16 January - United Nations aid agencies called on Tuesday for the Yemeni port of
Hodeidah to remain open beyond Friday the date set by a Saudi-led military coalition to
permit continued delivery of life-saving goods Yemen is the worldrsquos worst humanitarian
crisis where 83 million people are entirely dependent on external food aid and 400000
children suffer from severe acute malnutrition a potentially lethal condition they said hellip
More than 11 million Yemeni children - virtually all - need humanitarian assistance Relano
said UNICEF figures show 25000 Yemeni babies die at birth or before the age of one
month hellip A diphtheria outbreak in Yemen is ldquospreading quicklyrdquo with 678 cases and 48
associated deaths in four months Fadela Chaib of the World Health Organisation said
Reuters
top of page
USEUCOM
Ukraine Ukraine conflict has increased spread of HIV in
silent epidemic
16 January - The conflict in eastern Ukraine has increased the
spread of HIV throughout the country as people have been
uprooted by the violence a new study finds hellip Ukraine has
among the highest HIV rates in Europe with an estimated
220000 infected in a country of about 45 million hellip The study
says the HIV crisis in Ukraine has become a silent epidemic because half of HIV-infected
people are unaware they have the infection and around 40 percent of newly diagnosed
people are in the later stages of the disease hellip [A]n international team of scientists hellip
analyzed viral migration patterns in Ukraine from 2012 to 2015 They found a correlation
between the movement of 17 million people uprooted by the war and the spread of HIV
19
hellip The HIV epidemic has shifted from being associated with drug injections in the 1990s to
most new infections now being spread by sexual transmission the study found
Radio Free EuropeRadio Liberty
top of page
United Kingdom Britain appoints minister for loneliness
amid growing isolation
17 January - Britain has appointed a minister for loneliness to take forward the work of
murdered lawmaker Jo Cox and tackle the isolation felt by more than one in ten people in
the UK Sports minister Tracey Crouch will take on the new role [to] develop a strategy to
address the problem which research has linked with dementia early mortality and high
blood pressure hellip The majority of people over 75 live alone and about 200000 older people
in the UK have not had a conversation with a friend or relative in more than a month
according to government data Most doctors in Britain see between one and five patients a
day who have come mainly because they are lonely according to the Campaign to End
Loneliness Reuters
top of page
United Kingdom Measles outbreak spreading across
England warn health officials
16 January - Public health experts are urging parents to immunise their children against
measles as the potentially deadly bug has now spread to five regions in England With more
than 100 cases confirmed Public Health England warns that the UK could be on the verge
of an outbreak due to a rise in cases across Europe People who have recently visited
Romania Italy and Germany and have not been fully immunised against measles via the
MMR vaccine may be most at risk they said hellip However not all cases are being spread by
those who have visited countries included in the European outbreak a spokesperson for
Public Health England told The Independent We know that measles cases are showing a
link to importation from Europe where there are ongoing outbreaks but the cases are also
spreading within the UK in under-vaccinated communities they explained
The Independent
top of page
United Kingdom UK drugs regulator plays down Brexit
disruption threat
16 January - Britainrsquos drugs regulator said on Tuesday it would work to minimise disruption
caused by the country leaving the European Union as it tried to allay some of the worst
fears of pharmaceutical companies The highly regulated drugs industry is concerned about
Brexit fallout as the European Medicines Agency (EMA) relocates from London to
Amsterdam creating uncertainty about drug approvals after 2019 The Medicines and
Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) said in an update on its website that it
20
hoped to have a continuing relationship with the EMA after Brexit but if this did not happen
it would be ldquopragmaticrdquo in setting UK drug rules hellip The agency also noted that London and
Brussels agreed last month that ldquogoods placed on the market under Union law before the
withdrawal date may freely circulate on the markets of the UK and the Union with no need
for product modifications or re-labellingrdquo The Association of the British Pharmaceutical
Industry hellip warned that planning for a scenario where Britain had a separate regulatory
system required further detail Reuters
top of page
USNORTHCOM
US FDA expects IV fluid shortage to improve in coming
weeks months
16 January - The US Food and Drug Administration said on Tuesday it expects a shortage
of intravenous saline fluids for hospitals due to damage to key manufacturing facilities in
Puerto Rico to improve over the coming weeks and months FDA Commissioner Scott
Gottlieb said that the FDA has approved IV saline products from more companies which is
expected to boost US supply He said the tight supply of saline products had been
exacerbated by increased demand as a result of a worse-than-normal flu season At the
same time Gottlieb said the agency is concerned about a potential shortage of IV
containers as demand for empty IV containers increases as an alternative to filled bags
Reuters
top of page
US Mapping how the opioid epidemic sparked an HIV
outbreak
14 January - When people started to show up to Dr William Cookes primary care office in
Austin Ind in 2014 with HIV Cooke knew it was probably related to the regions opioid
epidemic But what he and the rest of the public health community didnt know was who
they were missing or how long the HIV outbreak had been going on Now theyve got a
clearer picture mdash literally In visualizations published in the Journal of Infectious Diseases
dots and lines define the constellations of Indianas HIV outbreak Using genetic
sequencing they show how long the outbreak had been going on connected people who
hadnt previously been linked by traditional methods and showed how the virus jumped
from a slowly spreading infection to a virus transmitted quickly via needle sharing and
other smaller sub-epidemics NPR
top of page
21
US More $$ needed for health emergencies senators
told 17 January - The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) needs more funding to
effectively prepare for public health emergencies an HHS official said at a Senate hearing
Wednesday We cant do more things with limited resources Robert Kadlec MD HHS
assistant secretary for preparedness and response told members of the Senate Health
Education Labor amp Pensions (HELP) Committee hellip We have a $33 trillion healthcare
system of which we invest $250 million for preparedness Its just a drop in the bucket
The hearing focused on the pending reauthorization of the Pandemic and All-Hazards
Preparedness Act (PAHPA) a 2006 law that established Kadlecs position at HHS and
implemented several programs aimed at getting the nation ready for emergencies such as
developing and acquiring drugs and vaccines to be used when needed MedPage Today
top of page
US National Academies report endorses lower BAC
higher alcohol taxes 18 January - Getting to Zero Alcohol-Impaired Driving Fatalities a new report from the
National Academies of Sciences Engineering and Medicine recommends reducing state
laws criminalizing alcohol-impaired driving from 008 to 005 percent blood alcohol
concentration (BAC) increasing alcohol taxes significantly and other actions to address the
persistent problem of alcohol-impaired driving deaths There are more than 10000 alcohol-
impaired driving fatalities annually in the United States and the report says stakeholders
that range from transportation systems to alcohol retailers to law enforcement should join
forces to implement policies and systems to eliminate these preventable deaths The
committee that conducted the study and wrote the report recommended a number of
actions lowering state laws on BAC raising alcohol taxes significantly strengthening policies
to prevent illegal alcohol sales to people under 21 and to already intoxicated adults
enacting all-offender ignition interlock laws and providing effective treatment for offenders
when needed Occupational Health and Safety
top of page
US NIH study shows steep increase in rate of alcohol-
related ER visits 12 January - The rate of alcohol-related visits to US emergency departments (ED) increased
by nearly 50 percent between 2006 and 2014 especially among females and drinkers who
are middle-aged or older according to a new study conducted by researchers at the
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) part of the National Institutes
of Health hellip These increases far outpaced changes in the number and rate of ED visits for
any cause during the years studied hellip Although men account for more alcohol-related ED
visits than women the rate of such visits increased more among females than males (53
percent versus 40 percent annually) over the study period NIH
top of page
22
US Number of Americans without health insurance
grows in Trumps first year new figures show 16 January - The number of Americans without health coverage which declined for years
after passage of the Affordable Care Act shot up in President Trumprsquos first year in office
according to data from a new national survey At the end of 2017 122 of US adults
lacked health insurance up from 109 at the end of 2016 as President Obama was
completing his final term The increase of 13 percentage points although modest marks
the first time since at least 2008 that the share of adults without insurance increased from
the previous year hellip The increase indicates that 32 million Americans lost health coverage
in 2017 Gallup concluded Los Angeles Times
top of page
US The Big Number 3500 infants die of sleep-related
issues 13 January - Thatrsquos the number of babies in the United States who die each year as the
result of a sleep-related issue according to a new report from the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention The causes vary but child health experts believe many of the
deaths would be preventable if more parents adhered to safe-sleep practices For instance
babies should be placed on their backs to sleep but the CDC found that 22 percent of
moms placed babies on their side or stomach Soft bedding mdash blankets pillows bumper
pads mdash should be kept out of the sleep area but 39 percent of moms said they used soft
bedding And itrsquos a good idea to share a room with an infant but not a bed with a baby Still
61 percent of moms told the CDC they had slept with their babies The Washington Post
top of page
US US faces oversupply of antibiotic-free chicken -
Sanderson Farms 16 January - Supplies of chicken raised without antibiotics are outstripping demand a major
US poultry producer said on Tuesday a sign of overproduction that could eat into
processorsrsquo profits Large chicken and restaurant companies including Tyson Foods Inc and
McDonaldrsquos Corp have raced to cut antibiotics from poultry supplies as public health
experts have warned about the link between use of the drugs in farms and the rise of drug-
resistant bacteria Antibiotic-free chickens made up an average of 405 percent of all fresh
US production for the first 10 months of 2017 Sanderson Farms Inc said in a regulatory
filing However only 64 percent of sales were for products sold as antibiotic-free (ABF)
according to Sanderson the third-largest US poultry producer Reuters
top of page
US US government to shield health workers under
religious freedom 18 January - The US government is seeking to further protect the ldquoconscience and religious
23
freedomrdquo of health workers whose beliefs prevent them from carrying out abortions and
other procedures in an effort likely to please conservative Christian activists and other
supporters of President Donald Trump The US Department of Health and Human Services
said on Thursday it will create a division within its Office of Civil Rights to give it ldquothe focus it
needs to more vigorously and effectively enforce existing laws protecting the rights of
conscience and religious freedomrdquo Healthcare workers hospitals with religious affiliations
and medical students among others have been ldquobulliedrdquo by the federal government to
provide these services despite existing laws on religious and conscience rights the top HHS
official said Reuters
top of page
USPACOM
Bangladesh Cold wave
12 January - Severe cold wave is sweeping over Bangladesh It was recorded the lowest in
Bangladeshrsquos history at 26 degrees yesterday in Tetulia Rangpur division hellip According to
the MET office the cold wave is likely to continue till January 14 and one or two more cold
waves are expected later this month hellip The cold wave has disrupted the lives of many in
northern Bangladesh Poor people particularly the farmers and rickshaw-pullers have been
affected badly Children and elderly people are the worst affected Twenty-seven (27)
persons have been reported dead ReliefWeb
top of page
Indonesia Indonesia sends military to help fight health
crisis in Papua
17 January - Indonesia is deploying military paramedics to carry food and vaccines to a
remote part of its easternmost province of Papua where reports say at least 61 infants died
from malnutrition and diseases such as measles hellip The situation in the remote Asmat
regency was an ldquoextraordinary incidentrdquo the health ministry said in a statement adding that
it was sending 39 health workers there The Indonesian military has sent 53 personnel
including paramedics besides medical equipment vaccines and 11100 packages of instant
food it added hellip ldquoThere is a link between the malnutrition and (catching) other diseasesrdquo
[Health Minister Nila] Moeloek added ldquoIf yoursquore undernourished you will get those
diseasesrdquo Reuters
top of page
Philippines Sanofi will reimburse Philippines
government for unused Dengvaxia
16 January - Yesterday Sanofi Pasteur the French pharmaceutical giant announced it will
reimburse the Philippines government for unused doses of Dengvaxia its controversial
24
dengue vaccine The announcement comes weeks after the company recommended the
vaccine not be used in people without prior dengue infections as it may prime dengue-
naive recipients for more severe infections More than 800000 Filipino children had already
received Dengvaxia when the recommendation was made Sanofi Pasteur has responded
positively to the Philippine Department of Healths (DoH) request that we provide
reimbursement for the doses of Dengvaxia that were not used by the government in the
public vaccination program the company said CIDRAP News Scan (third item)
top of page
USSOUTHCOM
Brazil WHO recommends yellow fever shot to Sao Paulo
visitors
16 January - The World Health Organization said on Tuesday that the whole of Sao Paulo
state which includes Brazilrsquos largest city Sao Paulo should be considered at risk for yellow
fever and recommended foreign travelers get vaccinated before visiting But Brazilrsquos Health
Ministry said the WHO recommendation coming just weeks before Carnival when tens of
thousands of tourists descend on Brazil would not cause it to change its advisory that only
travelers going to rural areas need to get vaccinated Deputy Health Minister Antonio Carlos
Nardi said Carnival celebrations in February were in urban areas and that visitors would not
be at risk if they stayed in cities Nardi said the number of cases had risen again this year
but that there was no outbreak of yellow fever in the country Reuters
top of page
25
US Military | Global | Influenza | VeterinaryFood Safety | Wellness | Contact Us
USAFRICOM | USCENTCOM | USEUCOM | USNORTHCOM | USPACOM | USSOUTHCOM
The Army Public Health Weekly Update does not analyze the information as to its strategic or tactical impact on the US Army and is not a medical
intelligence product Medical intelligence is available from the National Center for Medical Intelligence
External Links The appearance of external hyperlinks does not constitute endorsement by the US Army of this Web site or the information products
or services contained therein For other than authorized activities such as military exchanges and MWR sites the US Army does not exercise any
editorial control over the information you may find at these locations Such links are provided consistent with the stated purpose of this product
Although we avoid links to sites that may be blocked all sites may not be accessible from all locations While we verify the links at the time of
publication we cannot guarantee that they will be active in the future
Articles appearing in the Update do not necessarily represent US Army Medical Command opinionsviews policy or guidance and should not be
construed or interpreted as being endorsed by the US Army Medical Command
The Army Public Health Weekly Update is published by the Public Health Information Directorate Army Public Health Center
3
Philippines Sanofi will reimburse Philippines government for unused Dengvaxia
USSOUTHCOM
Brazil WHO recommends yellow fever shot to Sao Paulo visitors
US MILITARY
Ex-commanders face negligent homicide charges over
deadly Navy collisions
16 January - The US Navy announced Tuesday that the former commanding officers of the
USS Fitzgerald and USS John S McCain -- the ships involved in two deadly 2017 collisions
that killed 17 sailors -- will face criminal charges including dereliction of duty hazarding a
vessel and negligent homicide The USS McCains commanding officer was Cmdr Alfredo J
Sanchez while the USS Fitzgeralds commanding officer was Cmdr Bryce Benson After
careful deliberation today Adm Frank Caldwell announced that Uniform Code of Military
Justice charges are being preferred against individual service members in relation to the
collisions a Navy statement said CNN
top of page
FDA to speed review of medical products for use by
military
16 January - The US Food and Drug Administration and Department of Defense launched a
program on Tuesday to speed the development and review of medical products needed by
the military such as freeze-dried plasma that could prevent wounded troops from bleeding
to death The move follows a dispute between the FDA and the defense department over a
provision in the annual defense authorization bill that would have allowed the Pentagon to
authorize the emergency use of drugs and medical devices that have not been approved by
the FDA The US Senate and House of Representatives ultimately passed a bill leaving
authority to approve new medical products with the FDA but which authorizes the defense
department to request that the FDA bumps up certain products to the top of its review list
The defense departmentrsquos top priorities include freeze-dried plasma cold-stored platelets
and cryopreserved platelets Reuters
top of page
Insomnia and motor vehicle accidentndashrelated injuries
active component US Armed Forces 2007ndash2016
December 2017 - Insomnia is the most common sleep disorder in adults and its incidence is
increasing in the US Armed Forces A potential consequence of insomnia (including
medications used to treat it) is increased risk of motor vehicle accidents (MVAs) which
cause significant morbidity and mortality in service members To examine the relationship
between insomnia and MVA-related injuries in the US Armed Forces this retrospective
4
Classified Version of
the Weekly Update
An Army Public Health
Weekly Update is available
with articles classified up to
the SECRET level from the
USAPHC SIPRNet site
httpphcarmysmilmil
Look under Hot Topics amp
Current Issues
To access this version you
will need a SECRET
clearance and a SIPRNet
account
Links
A-Z Index
About APHC
Army Public Health
Weekly Update Archives
Medical Surveillance
Monthly Report
Medical Threat Briefings
(AKO)
Request APHC Services
APHC Resource Materials
APHC Homepage
APHC Training
Contact APHC
cohort study compared incidence rates of MVA-related injuries from 2007 through 2016
between service members with diagnosed insomnia and an unexposed cohort After
adjustment for multiple covariates service members with insomnia had more than double
the rate of MVA-related injuries compared to service members without insomnia A
subanalysis of service members with insomnia during 2014ndash2016 found no difference in risk
of MVA-related injury based on days supply of sleep aid medications prescribed in 365
days following insomnia diagnosis Medical Surveillance Monthly Report
top of page
Navy to pay to protect water supply after chemicals
found in Whidbey Island wells
17 January - The Navy will foot the bill for a filter system to protect the Coupeville water
supply from chemicals found in firefighting foam used at an airstrip near the Whidbey
Island town The action announced Tuesday is part of a broader Defense Department effort
mdash in Washington and elsewhere mdash to track pollution plumes from firefighting foam used at
military installations and offer assistance when the chemicals have been detected in
drinking-water supplies On Whidbey Island the Navy will pay to design install and operate
a filter system to treat perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances mdash or PFAS One of
these chemicals was found in a Coupeville drinking-water well at just below the 70 parts per
trillion lifetime exposure guideline set by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
Seattle Times
top of page
US Army medical research lab gets fast track approval
from FDA for malaria drug
16 January - The US Army Medical Materiel Development Activity here has received a Fast
Track designation from the US Food and Drug Administration for the development of
Tafenoquine a potential anti-malaria drug for adults Achieving FDA licensure of
Tafenoquine will provide a significant improvement over the current measures of malaria
prevention for US forces said Dr Lawrence Lightner project manager for the
Pharmaceutical Systems Project Management Office at USAMMDA Tafenoquine is only
required to be administered weekly while current preventive measures are required daily
and it protects against all forms of malaria Armymil
top of page
GLOBAL
Black Death spread by humans not rats
15 January - Rats were not to blame for the spread of plague during the Black Death
according to a study The rodents and their fleas were thought to have spread a series of
5
outbreaks in 14th-19th Century Europe But a team from the universities of Oslo and Ferrara
now says the first the Black Death can be largely ascribed to human fleas and body lice
The study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science uses records of its
pattern and scale [Researchers created] three models where the disease was spread by rats
airborne transmission fleas and lice that live on humans and their clothes In seven out of
the nine cities studied the human parasite model was a much better match for the pattern
of the outbreak It mirrored how quickly it spread and how many people it affected The
conclusion was very clear said Prof Stenseth The lice model fits best BBC News
top of page
Ebola vaccine proves effective in non-human primate
challenge 17 January - A single-dose modified vaccinia Ankara Ebola vaccine protected macaques
from Ebola virus after experimental infection hellip In the study 12 primates were challenged
with Ebola virus Makona strain in both a prime and booster dose While six control animals
contracted Ebola virus the immunized monkeys all showed high levels of Ebola
immunoglobulin G (IgG) and did not contract the virus This is the first study to demonstrate
the effectiveness of a novel recombinant modified vaccinia Ankara (MVA)-based vaccine
containing Ebola-like particles hellip The MVA-EBOV vaccine could be very usefulmdashnot only
for containing an outbreak by emergency immunization but as a routine vaccine for a
target population in EBOV endemic areas the authors wrote
CIDRAP News Scan (fourth item)
top of page
Hold the salt gut reaction may impair the brains of mice 18 January - We are often warned of the dangers of high levels of salt in our diet yet the
risks of salt consumption and the effects of salt on the body including the brain are not
entirely clear In a new mouse study scientists link changes in the gut caused by a high-salt
diet to impaired blood flow in the brain This reduced blood flow can eventually lead to
impaired cognition that could be reversed by changing back to a normal diet hellip In this
study mice were fed a high-salt diet (HSD) containing 16 times the amount of sodium
chloride typically found in their food After eight weeks their brains showed a 20 to 30
percent reduction in blood flow compared to mice that ate normal food This drop in blood
flow was accompanied by the appearance of dementia-like symptoms including defects in
the ability of HSD mice to recognize objects navigate a maze and properly build a nest
When the mice were returned to a normal diet both blood flow and cognition improved
suggesting that the negative effects of excessive salt consumption could be reversible NIH
top of page
NIH scientists find microbes on the skin of mice promote
tissue healing immunity 18 January - Beneficial bacteria on the skin of lab mice work with the animalsrsquo immune
systems to defend against disease-causing microbes and accelerate wound healing
6
according to new research from scientists at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious
Diseases part of the National Institutes of Health Researchers say untangling similar
mechanisms in humans may improve approaches to managing skin wounds and treating
other damaged tissues NIH
top of page
Repeated head hits not just concussions may lead to a
type of chronic brain damage
18 January - We live in an age of heightened awareness about concussions From
battlefields around the world to football fields in the US weve heard about the dangers
caused when the brain rattles around inside the skull and the possible link between
concussions and the degenerative brain disease chronic traumatic encephalopathy hellip But
now a high-powered team of researchers says all that focus on concussions may be missing
the mark A [new] study hellip presents the strongest case yet that repetitive hits to the head
that dont lead to concussions mdashmeaning no loss of consciousness or other symptoms that
can include headaches dizziness vision problems or confusion mdash cause CTE Weve had an
inkling that subconcussive hits mdash the ones that dont [show] neurological signs and
symptoms mdash may be associated with CTE says Dr Lee Goldstein an associate professor of
psychiatry at the Boston University School of Medicine and the lead investigator on the
study We now have solid scientific evidence to say that is so NPR
top of page
Study identifies malaria resistance genes possible drug
targets
16 January - A new study of drug resistance in the parasite responsible for roughly half of all
malaria cases worldwide has identified more than 80 genes that contribute to resistance
some of which could provide important information for drug development researchers say
CIDRAP
top of page
UK study finds surfers more likely to be colonized with
resistant bacteria
17 January - A first-of-its-kind study combining surveillance of antibiotic-resistant bacteria
in bathing waters and human exposure estimates has found that surfers are more likely to
be colonized by drug-resistant bacteria than non-surfers hellip The study hellip aimed to estimate
the prevalence of Escherichia coli harboring the extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL)
gene blaCTX-M in waters along the UK coastline CTX-M genes represent nearly 80 of
ESBLs in clinical isolates and can encode resistance to multiple antibiotics Previous research
has indicated that ingesting seawater containing antibiotic-resistant E coli is associated with
gut colonization by these bacteria and that swimming is a risk factor for urinary tract
infections caused by ESBL-producing bacteria hellip While surfers colonised by potentially
7
pathogenic [antibiotic-resistant bacteria] may by asymptomatic gut bacteria are a major
source of infection and these bacteria may cause problems if colonised individuals develop
a health condition in the future that makes them more susceptible to infections the
authors write CIDRAP StewardshipResistance Scan (second item)
top of page
ZIKA VIRUS
Brazil study hints at dengue cross-protection in Zikas
wake
17 January - An outbreak of Zika virus in 2015 in Brazil may have provided some cross-
protection against dengue infection according to researchers who studied disease
surveillance data in a slum community of Salvador the countrys fourth-largest city
Before 2015 positive tests for dengue virus followed annual second- or third-quarter peaks
However they saw a much smaller peak in 2015 during the Zika outbreak with dengue
positive showing no peak in 2016 and 2017 The frequency of confirmed dengue in patients
with febrile illness fell from 25 before the Zika epidemic to 3 after the outbreak
However over the same period the percentage of patients who tested positive for
chikungunya virus infection increased significantly from 7 before the Zika epidemic to
20 after suggesting that the environmental conditions including mosquito populations
were still in place after the Zika epidemic CIDRAP News Scan (second item)
top of page
Brazilian studies highlight Zika microcephaly patterns
16 January - A new case-control study based in one of
Brazils Zika hot spots reaffirmed the link between Zika and
microcephaly and offered one of the first estimates of Zika-
linked microcephaly prevalence in areas experiencing an
outbreak The study also found that timing of exposure and
evidence of infection in infants were the only risk factors a
key finding given lingering questions about whether any other factors were involved in the
unusually high levels of birth defects in Brazils outbreak Also another group that looked at
microcephaly patterns in another of Brazils hard-hit Zika regions found that microcephaly
prevalence was higher in areas marked by poorer living conditions CIDRAP
top of page
Scientists find Zika virus in 3 mosquito species not
known to carry it
17 January - Zika virus was discovered in the salivary glands of five mosquito species caught
in the wild in Mexico including three previously unreported hellip Though Aedes aegypti and
8
Ae albopictus are the main vectors of the disease (and also transmit dengue chikungunya
and yellow fever) other species have been theorized to be able to carry the Zika virus as
well Mexican researchers looked at Ae aegypti and Ae vexans as well as Culex
quinquefasciatus Cx coronator and Cx tarsalis They collected 579 mosquitoes over 5
separate days from September to November 2016 in different parts of the Guadalajara
metropolitan area They were able to isolate in cell culture Zika virus from different body
partsmdashincluding the salivary glandsmdashof female mosquitoes representing all five species and
in whole male Ae aegypti and Cx quinquefasciatus mosquitoes
CIDRAP News Scan (third item)
top of page
Zika infection during pregnancy may disrupt fetal oxygen
supply 18 January - Zika virus infection appears to affect oxygen delivery to the fetuses of pregnant
monkeys according to a small study Researchers also observed a high degree of
inflammation in the placenta and lining of the uterus which can harm the fetal immune
system and increase a newborns susceptibility to additional infections hellip [Researchers] used
non-invasive imaging to evaluate how persistent Zika infection affects pregnancy in five
rhesus macaques The team found that the virus induces high levels of inflammation in the
blood vessels of the uterus and damages placental villi the branch-like growths that help
transfer oxygen and nutrients from maternal blood to the fetus The researchers suggest
that this damage may disrupt oxygen transport to the fetus which can restrict its growth
and lead to stillbirth among other conditions NIH
top of page
INFLUENZA
AFHSB DoD Seasonal Influenza Surveillance Summary For Week 1
NORTHCOM Influenza activity continued to increase with the majority of states
experiencing moderate to high activity
EUCOM Influenza activity in EUCOM increased and ranged from minimal to high
depending on the country
PACOM Influenza activity continued to increase throughout PACOM and was high
in Hawaii and the Republic of Korea
CENTCOM and AFRICOM Since week 48 TMDS data has not been sent to AFHSB
Therefore the CENTCOM map and figure are not presented as the data will be
incomplete
SOUTHCOM Since week 48 TMDS data has not been sent to AFHSB Therefore
SOUTHCOM data is incomplete and will not be provided
top of page
9
APHC US Army Influenza Activity Report
For the week ending 6 January 2018 (week 1)
In week 1 722 influenza A-positive specimens were reported by Army medical treatment
facilities which is a 45 increase from the 498 positive influenza A specimens reported in
week 52 This influenza season is on track to be one of the most active according to the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) To decrease the spread of flu ill Service
Members should be placed on quarters and the flu vaccine should be administered to
unvaccinated individuals Furthermore the CDC recommends taking antivirals within 48
hours of symptom onset to lessen the symptoms of the flu for those that do become ill
APHC
top of page
CDC Flu View - Weekly US Influenza Surveillance
Report
During week 1 (December 31 2017-January 6 2018) influenza activity increased in the
United States
Viral Surveillance The most frequently identified influenza virus subtype reported
by public health laboratories during week 1 was influenza A(H3) The percentage of
respiratory specimens testing positive for influenza in clinical laboratories remained
elevated
Pneumonia and Influenza Mortality The proportion of deaths attributed to
pneumonia and influenza (PampI) was at the system-specific epidemic threshold in the
National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) Mortality Surveillance System
Influenza-associated Pediatric Deaths Seven influenza-associated pediatric deaths
were reported CDC
top of page
ECDC Flu News Europe
Week 12018 (1ndash7 January 2018)
Influenza activity was increasing in countries in northern southern and western
Europe
Both influenza type A and B viruses were co-circulating and different patterns of
circulation were observed across countries in the Region
Of the individuals sampled on presenting with ILI or ARI to sentinel primary
healthcare sites 42 tested positive for influenza viruses similar to the 44 in the
previous week
EuroMOMO data showed excess mortality in the elderly (gt65 years of age) for the
United-Kingdom (Scotland) Spain and Portugal
European Center for Disease Prevention and ControlWHO
top of page
10
For CDC reducing flu spread takes priority over nuclear
attack preparedness
15 January - The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention changed the topic of a nuclear
strike preparedness session opting to focus on a widespread flu outbreak The Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention has postponed a planned Tuesday session on nuclear attack
preparedness deciding instead to focus the workshop on influenza The agency announced
the switch in topics late Friday citing the spike in flu cases as the reason for the pivot To
date this influenza season is notable for the sheer volume of flu that most of the United
States is seeing at the same time which can stress health systems according to a CDC
statement The vast majority of this activity has been caused by influenza A H3N2
associated with severe illness in young children and people 65 years and older NPR
top of page
NHRC Operational Infectious Diseases - Weekly
Surveillance Report
11 January - Febrile respiratory illness cases
Military Recruits - 24 positive of 33 tested
CDC Border Infectious Disease Surveillance and Zika Surveillance - 122 positive of
157 tested
DoD Beneficiaries ndash 12 positive of 21 tested Naval Health Research Center
top of page
lsquoSmart thermometersrsquo track flu season in real time
16 January ndash A company making ldquosmart thermometersrdquo that upload body temperatures to
its website claims to be tracking this yearrsquos flu season faster and in greater geographic detail
than public health authorities can This yearrsquos flu season mdash which the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention considers ldquomoderately severerdquo mdash has left Missouri and Iowa the
ldquosickest states in the countryrdquo said Inder Singh the founder of Kinsahealthcom California
has had its worst outbreak in five years with nearly 1 percent of the state exhibiting flu
symptoms on Jan 2 he added By contrast New York New England and the Southeast have
had relatively mild seasons so far but cases are rising and should peak in two weeks Mr
Singhrsquos data paints a different picture from that of the CDC which held a news conference
Friday to announce that flu activity was ldquowidespreadrdquo across the continental United States
which is unusual The New York Times
top of page
Study reveals more H1N1 deaths in those exposed to 57
pandemic
17 January - hellip [Researchers have] found more evidence that exposure to a pandemic strain
can make people more susceptible to the next pandemic strainmdashif the viruses are greatly
11
different from each other hellip For the 2009 H1N1 pandemic season the investigators found
peaks in death rates in people from [United States and Mexico] who were 52 years old
corresponding with a birth year of 1957 when the H2N2 Asian flu pandemic occurred The
team said the vulnerability that they and others have noted in subsequent pandemics marks
an unappreciated risk factor and has all the markings of a cohort effect showing the value
of studying flu deaths by individual birth year instead of very large age-groups The findings
suggest that increased pandemic deaths in people primed in early life by viruses that have
little to no antigenic overlap with new pandemic or seasonal viruses might result in
responses that increase the pathogenicity of the disease possibly compromising lung
function the group wrote CIDRAP
top of page
USAFSAM amp DHA DoD Global Laboratory-Based
Influenza Surveillance Program During 17 - 30 December 2017 (Surveillance Weeks 51 amp 52) a total of 434 specimens were
collected and received from 58 locations Results were finalized for 396 specimens from 57
locations During Week 51 there were 115 influenza viruses detected 88 influenza A(H3N2)
(including two coinfections) 11 influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 and 16 influenza B (including two
coinfections) During Week 51 the influenza percent positive was approximately 38
During Week 52 there were 44 influenza viruses detected 35 influenza A(H3N2) (including
two coinfections) two influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 (including one coinfection) and seven
influenza B viruses (including one coinfection) The influenza percent positive was
approximately 49 during Week 52 The influenza percent positive for the season is 17
US Air Force School of Aerospace Medicine amp Defense Health Agency
top of page
VETERINARYFOOD SAFETY
Dozens of brands of ice cream bars now on recall for
Listeria 14 January - A Listeria-related ice cream bar recall that started Jan 5 with less than 400
cases of frozen treats now includes additional flavors and brands totaling close to 29000
cases sent to more than 35 retail chains across the country No illnesses have been
confirmed in connection with the ice cream products However finished samples tested
positive for Listeria monocytogenes before the initial recall and more samples have tested
positive since then spurring Fieldbrook Foods Corp to broaden its recall hellip Officials are
concerned that consumers and entities along the food supply chain may still have the
recalled ice cream treats in their freezers hellip ldquoThere is no evidence of any contamination
prior to Oct 31 2017 but the company has issued the recall back to Jan 1 2017 through
an abundance of caution and in full cooperation with the FDA (Food and Drug
Administration)rdquo according to the recall notice posted on the FDA website
Food Safety News
top of page
12
French police search Lactalis sites after baby milk scare
17 January -French police were searching several sites belonging to dairy producer Lactalis
on Wednesday following a salmonella contamination scare that prompted a global recall of
several baby food products a source at the Paris prosecutorrsquos office said The scandal
deepened this month when it emerged some of the recalled baby foods had still made their
way onto shop shelves in a number of supermarket chains The Paris prosecutor opened a
preliminary probe into the salmonella contamination scare in late December Reuters
top of page
Fugu freakout Dont eat the blowfish Japanese officials
warn
16 January - Officials in the central Japanese city of Gamagori
are warning residents not to eat blowfish purchased from a
local supermarket after potentially deadly parts of the fish were
inadvertently sold The market sold five packages of fish
without removing their livers which can contain a potent
neurotoxin Three of the packages of fish have been recovered
by authorities but two others remain at large hellip Eating fugu liver can paralyze motor
nerves and in a serious case cause respiratory arrest leading to death regional officials
said in a warning statement Blowfish known in Japan as fugu is a highly prized delicacy
both as sashimi or as an ingredient in soup but the fishs liver ovaries and skin contain the
poison tetrodotoxin and the parts must be removed by specially trained and licensed
preparers There is no known antidote to the poison NPR
top of page
Multistate outbreak of Salmonella infections linked to
coconut tree brand frozen shredded coconut
16 January - CDC public health and regulatory officials in several states and the US Food
and Drug Administration (FDA) are investigating a multistate outbreak of Salmonella
infections hellip As of January 12 2018 25 people infected with the outbreak strains of
Salmonella I 4[5]12b- (24 people) or Salmonella Newport (1 person) have been reported
from 9 states One more ill person infected with the outbreak strain of Salmonella I
4[5]12b- has been reported from Canada hellip Illnesses started on dates ranging from May
11 2017 to November 4 2017 Ill people range in age from 1 year to 82 with a median age
of 19 Among ill people 19 (76) are male Six people (24) report being hospitalized No
deaths have been reported hellip The frozen shredded coconut linked to this outbreak was
used as an ingredient in Asian-style dessert drinks served at restaurants The product was
also sold in grocery stores and markets in several states Frozen shredded coconut can last
for several months if kept frozen and may still be in retail stores or in peoplersquos homes CDC
top of page
13
Pets Raw meat diets pose a risk to both animal and
human health
12 January - Experts are warning dog and cat owners to be
aware of the risks associated with feeding their pets raw meat-
based diets (RMBDs) instead of the more conventional dry or
canned pet foods hellip Of most concern however is the risk to
public or animal health due to contamination of RMBDs with
zoonotic bacteria and parasites that can pass between animals and humans hellip [A] team of
researchers based in The Netherlands say these diets may be contaminated with bacteria
and parasites and as such may pose a risk to both animal and human health hellip They
analysed 35 commercial frozen RMBDs from eight different brands widely available in The
Netherlands Escherichia coli O157 was isolated from eight products (23) Listeria species
were present in 15 products (43) and Salmonella species in seven products (20) Both E
coli O157 and Salmonella infections in humans have been linked with serious illnesses
Outbreak News Today
top of page
South Africa More Listeriosis cases and deaths Whatrsquos
being done
18 January - In just a matter of a few days the Listeriosis outbreak described as the ldquolargest
documented listeriosis outbreak South Africa has ever experiencedrdquo has grown by 19 cases
with a new outbreak total of 767 laboratory-confirmed listeriosis cases as of Jan 16 The
National Institute of Communicable Diseases (NICD) now puts the death toll at 81 hellip At
present the source of the outbreak is not known hellip The National Department of Health is hellip
interviewing all persons who have been diagnosed with Listeria to understand what food
they have eaten and identify trends Outbreak News Today
top of page
The parasite on the playground
16 January - Millions of American children have been
exposed to hellip parasites roundworms of the genus Toxocara
live in the intestines of cats and dogs especially strays
Microscopic eggs from Toxocara are shed in the animalsrsquo
feces contaminating yards playgrounds and sandboxes
These infectious particles cling to the hands of children
playing outside Once swallowed the eggs soon hatch releasing larvae that wriggle through
the body and evidence suggests may even reach the brain compromising learning and
cognition hellip The latest [CDC] report hellip estimated that about 5 percent of the United States
population mdash or about 16 million people mdash carry Toxocara antibodies in their blood a sign
they have ingested the eggs But the risk is not evenly shared Poor and minority
populations are more often exposed The rate among African Americans was almost 7
14
percent according to the CDC Among people living below the poverty line the infection
rate was 10 percent The New York Times
top of page
WELLNESS
Current cigarette smoking among adults mdash United States
2016
19 January - hellip The proportion of US adults who smoke cigarettes declined from 209 in
2005 (451 million smokers) to 155 in 2016 (378 million smokers) but cigarette smoking
prevalence did not change significantly during 2015ndash2016 Sociodemographic disparities in
cigarette smoking persist During 2005ndash2016 increases occurred in the proportion of adult
ever smokers who quit smoking (508 to 590) Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report
top of page
Cycling does not harm mens sexual health study says
12 January - Cycling does not negatively affect mens
sexual health or urinary function a study has found
Researchers compared cyclists with runners and
swimmers and found their sexual and urinary health was
comparable The findings contrasted with previous
studies that suggested cycling could negatively affect mens sexual function the studys
authors said They said the benefits to cycling far outweigh the risks hellip Sexual health and
urinary function were comparable in all three groups researchers said although some
cyclists were more prone to urethral strictures - a narrowing of the urethra hellip The cyclists
did have statistically significant higher odds of genital numbness the study found
BBC News
top of page
Obesity shaved almost a year off US life expectancy
study says
16 January - Rising obesity rates in the US may be responsible for as many as 186000
deaths per year according to a new analysis The US has seen only relatively modest
improvements in mortality rates over the past couple decades despite public health
victories including major reductions in smoking Death rates tied to cardiovascular disease
cancer and other chronic illnesses for example declined more slowly in the US than in any
of 13 similarly developed nations between 1999 and 2015 Researchers hellip thought rising
obesity rates might have something to do with it so they pored over two subsequent
editions of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Study (NHANES) and the
associated death records Increases in obesity according to the paper slowed gains in
15
mortality rates by 054 between 1988 and 2011 shaving an estimated 09 years off the
national life expectancy at age 40 and resulting in as many as 186000 additional deaths in
2011 alone Time
top of page
Researchers probe stomach surgeryrsquos lsquomiraclersquo secrets
17 January - Nima Saeidi an assistant professor of surgery at Harvard Medical School and
Massachusetts General Hospital and a member of the Center for Engineering in Medicine
had started down one career path when a lecture on Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery
redirected him The MGH lecture outlined not just the procedurersquos striking effectiveness for
weight loss hellip but also its promise against diabetes high blood pressure cholesterol and
fatty-food cravings hellip The idea of a compound that mimics the positives of Roux-en-Y is
particularly enticing amid twin national epidemics of obesity and diabetes The surgery
has been shown to affect insulin sensitivity and production of the hunger hormones ghrelin
and leptin It also alters the composition of a patientrsquos microbiome hellip Saeidi and colleagues
have turned to new rodent models spectroscopic instruments and novel informatics
techniques that shift inquiry from a traditional hypothesis-based step-by-step exploration
to one that seeks to reverse-engineer the problem by searching broadly for postoperative
chemical changes in the body and then working to understand them Harvard Gazette
top of page
Wal-Mart launches program to safely dispose of unused
opioids
17 January - The company said patients filling any new class II opioid prescriptions at its
pharmacies will receive a free packet of the product - called DisposeRx - when filling a new
prescription hellip People filling prescriptions at Samrsquos Club can also get DisposeRx at their
pharmacies In order to safely dispose of opioids patients would add warm water and the
DisposeRx powder to their pill bottle which then forms a biodegradable gel around the
pills Reuters
top of page
USAFRICOM
Democratic Republic of the Congo Five cases of vaccine-
derived polio detected in DRC
12 January - In an advance notification the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) said
there are five new cases of vaccine-derived polio from the Democratic Republic of the
Congo (DRC) hellip These are the first cases reported from the DRC in 2018 but illness onset
dates havent yet been recorded For 2017 there were 12 cases of circulating vaccine-
derived poliovirus type 2 (cVDPV2) in the DRC and 74 reported in Syria hellip In other polio
news Science published an article today describing the increasing number of polio
16
environmental samples found in Pakistan despite the dwindling number of human cases
The authors said the increasing samples could be sign that polio is on its last legs in that
country before eradication CIDRAP News Scan (fourth item)
top of page
Namibia Hepatitis E
15 January - During the week ending on 13 October 2017 the first identified case was
admitted to a public hospital in Windhoek district with signs and symptoms of hepatitis E
During the week ending on 8 January 2018 a total of 237 probable and confirmed cases
have been seen at various health facilities in Windhoek district with the same signs and
symptoms All suspected patients tested negative for hepatitis A B and C A total of 41 of
the 237 cases were sent for further testing and on 8 January 2018 the results showed 21
were IgM positive for hepatitis E WHO
top of page
Nigeria 3 die from Lassa fever in Ebonyi State
16 January - Four cases of Lassa fever were reported among health care workers in Ebonyi
State in southeastern Nigeria with three passing away from the lethal viral disease
the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) said The Honorable Minister of Health
Professor Isaac Adewole immediately requested that NCDC provides support to the
Government of Ebonyi State to investigate and respond to this cluster of cases
Outbreak News Today
top of page
South Africa Cape Town slashes water use amid drought
18 January - The South African city of Cape Town will slash residents water allowance to 50
litres a day from next month amid fears that it could become the worlds first major city to
run out of water The city had reached a point of no return Mayor Patricia de Lille said
Cape Town a popular tourist destination has been hit by its worst drought in a century Ms
De Lille warned that the city risked reaching Day Zero on 21 April when taps in homes
could run dry We can no longer ask people to stop wasting water We must force them
she said at a press conference Despite our urging for months 60 of Capetonians are
callously using more than 87 litres per day she added referring to the current daily limit A
person uses about 15 litres per minute for a typical shower and the same amount when
flushing a standard toilet according to WaterWise a South African water usage awareness
campaign BBC News
top of page
South Sudan Rift Valley fever suspected in South Sudan
VHF cluster 2 cases reported
16 January - Preliminary indications into South Sudans recent viral hemorrhagic fever
outbreak suggest that Rift Valley fever (RVF) may be the cause the World Health
17
Organization (WHO) Regional Office for Africa said in its latest outbreak and health
emergencies update The initial cluster included three patients from the same area of
Eastern Lakes state who had similar symptoms and died from their infections in December
hellip [T]wo more suspected human cases have been reported and involve an 18-year-old
pregnant woman who is a contact of a patient in the initial cluster and a 14-year-old girl
from a neighboring village who had no epidemiologic links to the original three cluster
patients State and national task forces have been activated The WHO said surveillance in
humans and animals needs to be strengthened in the area while efforts continue to confirm
the cause of the outbreak CIDRAP New Scan (first item)
top of page
Uganda Doctors in Uganda warn crisis level blood
shortage is putting lives at risk
16 January - Uganda is grappling with a critical shortage of blood that is affecting services
and putting patientsrsquo lives at risk The health ministryrsquos blood bank facility in the capital
Kampala which stores and distributes supplies to hospitals is practically empty It has just
150 units of blood remaining not enough to meet requirements on an average day in the
city Nationally Uganda needs at least 340000 units of safe blood annually but usually only
collects 200000 a year A six-day countrywide blood collection drive was launched by the
ministry on Monday The Uganda Medical Association an umbrella organisation of doctors
in public health facilities said the shortage was ldquoalmost [at] crisis levelrdquo resulting in the
cancellation of hospital operations and prioritisation of cases The Guardian
top of page
United Republic of Tanzania Cholera
12 January - From 15 August 2015 through 7 January 2018 33421 cases including 542
deaths (case fatality rate = 162) have been reported across all 26 regions of the United
Republic of Tanzania (Tanzania mainland and Zanzibar) Tanzania mainland has reported
86 of the total cases in this outbreak Children under five years old accounted for 114 of
cases Since the beginning of the outbreak over 7000 specimens have been tested for
cholera and 47 were positive for Vibrio cholerae by culture From 1 January 2017 through
31 December 4985 cases including 99 deaths have been reported in Tanzania Mainland
and Zanzibar The number of cases as well as geographical spread of cholera has markedly
reduced compared to the two previous years WHO
top of page
Zambia Zambia relaxes restrictions as cholera outbreak
slows
14 January - Zambia on Sunday relaxed rules imposed to curb the spread of cholera as the
number of new cases being reported has halved Health Minister Chitalu Chilufya said
Schools and some markets will be allowed to re-open Chilufya told a news conference in
Lusaka Police arrested 55 people in the capital on Friday after residents rioted over a curfew
18
and ban on street vending The outbreak has killed 74 people since Oct 4 including 68 in
Lusaka Chilufya said The number of new cases has fallen to around 80 from 164 a week
ago Of the more than 3200 cases reported in total more than 3000 have been in Lusaka
All government and private schools will re-open on Jan 22 but Zambiarsquos two largest public
universities will remain closed for now President Edgar Lungu last month directed the
military to clean markets and unblock drains to help to fight the spread of the waterborne
disease Reuters
top of page
USCENTCOM
Yemen UN hopes imports will help stave off famine in
Yemen as diphtheria spreads
16 January - United Nations aid agencies called on Tuesday for the Yemeni port of
Hodeidah to remain open beyond Friday the date set by a Saudi-led military coalition to
permit continued delivery of life-saving goods Yemen is the worldrsquos worst humanitarian
crisis where 83 million people are entirely dependent on external food aid and 400000
children suffer from severe acute malnutrition a potentially lethal condition they said hellip
More than 11 million Yemeni children - virtually all - need humanitarian assistance Relano
said UNICEF figures show 25000 Yemeni babies die at birth or before the age of one
month hellip A diphtheria outbreak in Yemen is ldquospreading quicklyrdquo with 678 cases and 48
associated deaths in four months Fadela Chaib of the World Health Organisation said
Reuters
top of page
USEUCOM
Ukraine Ukraine conflict has increased spread of HIV in
silent epidemic
16 January - The conflict in eastern Ukraine has increased the
spread of HIV throughout the country as people have been
uprooted by the violence a new study finds hellip Ukraine has
among the highest HIV rates in Europe with an estimated
220000 infected in a country of about 45 million hellip The study
says the HIV crisis in Ukraine has become a silent epidemic because half of HIV-infected
people are unaware they have the infection and around 40 percent of newly diagnosed
people are in the later stages of the disease hellip [A]n international team of scientists hellip
analyzed viral migration patterns in Ukraine from 2012 to 2015 They found a correlation
between the movement of 17 million people uprooted by the war and the spread of HIV
19
hellip The HIV epidemic has shifted from being associated with drug injections in the 1990s to
most new infections now being spread by sexual transmission the study found
Radio Free EuropeRadio Liberty
top of page
United Kingdom Britain appoints minister for loneliness
amid growing isolation
17 January - Britain has appointed a minister for loneliness to take forward the work of
murdered lawmaker Jo Cox and tackle the isolation felt by more than one in ten people in
the UK Sports minister Tracey Crouch will take on the new role [to] develop a strategy to
address the problem which research has linked with dementia early mortality and high
blood pressure hellip The majority of people over 75 live alone and about 200000 older people
in the UK have not had a conversation with a friend or relative in more than a month
according to government data Most doctors in Britain see between one and five patients a
day who have come mainly because they are lonely according to the Campaign to End
Loneliness Reuters
top of page
United Kingdom Measles outbreak spreading across
England warn health officials
16 January - Public health experts are urging parents to immunise their children against
measles as the potentially deadly bug has now spread to five regions in England With more
than 100 cases confirmed Public Health England warns that the UK could be on the verge
of an outbreak due to a rise in cases across Europe People who have recently visited
Romania Italy and Germany and have not been fully immunised against measles via the
MMR vaccine may be most at risk they said hellip However not all cases are being spread by
those who have visited countries included in the European outbreak a spokesperson for
Public Health England told The Independent We know that measles cases are showing a
link to importation from Europe where there are ongoing outbreaks but the cases are also
spreading within the UK in under-vaccinated communities they explained
The Independent
top of page
United Kingdom UK drugs regulator plays down Brexit
disruption threat
16 January - Britainrsquos drugs regulator said on Tuesday it would work to minimise disruption
caused by the country leaving the European Union as it tried to allay some of the worst
fears of pharmaceutical companies The highly regulated drugs industry is concerned about
Brexit fallout as the European Medicines Agency (EMA) relocates from London to
Amsterdam creating uncertainty about drug approvals after 2019 The Medicines and
Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) said in an update on its website that it
20
hoped to have a continuing relationship with the EMA after Brexit but if this did not happen
it would be ldquopragmaticrdquo in setting UK drug rules hellip The agency also noted that London and
Brussels agreed last month that ldquogoods placed on the market under Union law before the
withdrawal date may freely circulate on the markets of the UK and the Union with no need
for product modifications or re-labellingrdquo The Association of the British Pharmaceutical
Industry hellip warned that planning for a scenario where Britain had a separate regulatory
system required further detail Reuters
top of page
USNORTHCOM
US FDA expects IV fluid shortage to improve in coming
weeks months
16 January - The US Food and Drug Administration said on Tuesday it expects a shortage
of intravenous saline fluids for hospitals due to damage to key manufacturing facilities in
Puerto Rico to improve over the coming weeks and months FDA Commissioner Scott
Gottlieb said that the FDA has approved IV saline products from more companies which is
expected to boost US supply He said the tight supply of saline products had been
exacerbated by increased demand as a result of a worse-than-normal flu season At the
same time Gottlieb said the agency is concerned about a potential shortage of IV
containers as demand for empty IV containers increases as an alternative to filled bags
Reuters
top of page
US Mapping how the opioid epidemic sparked an HIV
outbreak
14 January - When people started to show up to Dr William Cookes primary care office in
Austin Ind in 2014 with HIV Cooke knew it was probably related to the regions opioid
epidemic But what he and the rest of the public health community didnt know was who
they were missing or how long the HIV outbreak had been going on Now theyve got a
clearer picture mdash literally In visualizations published in the Journal of Infectious Diseases
dots and lines define the constellations of Indianas HIV outbreak Using genetic
sequencing they show how long the outbreak had been going on connected people who
hadnt previously been linked by traditional methods and showed how the virus jumped
from a slowly spreading infection to a virus transmitted quickly via needle sharing and
other smaller sub-epidemics NPR
top of page
21
US More $$ needed for health emergencies senators
told 17 January - The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) needs more funding to
effectively prepare for public health emergencies an HHS official said at a Senate hearing
Wednesday We cant do more things with limited resources Robert Kadlec MD HHS
assistant secretary for preparedness and response told members of the Senate Health
Education Labor amp Pensions (HELP) Committee hellip We have a $33 trillion healthcare
system of which we invest $250 million for preparedness Its just a drop in the bucket
The hearing focused on the pending reauthorization of the Pandemic and All-Hazards
Preparedness Act (PAHPA) a 2006 law that established Kadlecs position at HHS and
implemented several programs aimed at getting the nation ready for emergencies such as
developing and acquiring drugs and vaccines to be used when needed MedPage Today
top of page
US National Academies report endorses lower BAC
higher alcohol taxes 18 January - Getting to Zero Alcohol-Impaired Driving Fatalities a new report from the
National Academies of Sciences Engineering and Medicine recommends reducing state
laws criminalizing alcohol-impaired driving from 008 to 005 percent blood alcohol
concentration (BAC) increasing alcohol taxes significantly and other actions to address the
persistent problem of alcohol-impaired driving deaths There are more than 10000 alcohol-
impaired driving fatalities annually in the United States and the report says stakeholders
that range from transportation systems to alcohol retailers to law enforcement should join
forces to implement policies and systems to eliminate these preventable deaths The
committee that conducted the study and wrote the report recommended a number of
actions lowering state laws on BAC raising alcohol taxes significantly strengthening policies
to prevent illegal alcohol sales to people under 21 and to already intoxicated adults
enacting all-offender ignition interlock laws and providing effective treatment for offenders
when needed Occupational Health and Safety
top of page
US NIH study shows steep increase in rate of alcohol-
related ER visits 12 January - The rate of alcohol-related visits to US emergency departments (ED) increased
by nearly 50 percent between 2006 and 2014 especially among females and drinkers who
are middle-aged or older according to a new study conducted by researchers at the
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) part of the National Institutes
of Health hellip These increases far outpaced changes in the number and rate of ED visits for
any cause during the years studied hellip Although men account for more alcohol-related ED
visits than women the rate of such visits increased more among females than males (53
percent versus 40 percent annually) over the study period NIH
top of page
22
US Number of Americans without health insurance
grows in Trumps first year new figures show 16 January - The number of Americans without health coverage which declined for years
after passage of the Affordable Care Act shot up in President Trumprsquos first year in office
according to data from a new national survey At the end of 2017 122 of US adults
lacked health insurance up from 109 at the end of 2016 as President Obama was
completing his final term The increase of 13 percentage points although modest marks
the first time since at least 2008 that the share of adults without insurance increased from
the previous year hellip The increase indicates that 32 million Americans lost health coverage
in 2017 Gallup concluded Los Angeles Times
top of page
US The Big Number 3500 infants die of sleep-related
issues 13 January - Thatrsquos the number of babies in the United States who die each year as the
result of a sleep-related issue according to a new report from the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention The causes vary but child health experts believe many of the
deaths would be preventable if more parents adhered to safe-sleep practices For instance
babies should be placed on their backs to sleep but the CDC found that 22 percent of
moms placed babies on their side or stomach Soft bedding mdash blankets pillows bumper
pads mdash should be kept out of the sleep area but 39 percent of moms said they used soft
bedding And itrsquos a good idea to share a room with an infant but not a bed with a baby Still
61 percent of moms told the CDC they had slept with their babies The Washington Post
top of page
US US faces oversupply of antibiotic-free chicken -
Sanderson Farms 16 January - Supplies of chicken raised without antibiotics are outstripping demand a major
US poultry producer said on Tuesday a sign of overproduction that could eat into
processorsrsquo profits Large chicken and restaurant companies including Tyson Foods Inc and
McDonaldrsquos Corp have raced to cut antibiotics from poultry supplies as public health
experts have warned about the link between use of the drugs in farms and the rise of drug-
resistant bacteria Antibiotic-free chickens made up an average of 405 percent of all fresh
US production for the first 10 months of 2017 Sanderson Farms Inc said in a regulatory
filing However only 64 percent of sales were for products sold as antibiotic-free (ABF)
according to Sanderson the third-largest US poultry producer Reuters
top of page
US US government to shield health workers under
religious freedom 18 January - The US government is seeking to further protect the ldquoconscience and religious
23
freedomrdquo of health workers whose beliefs prevent them from carrying out abortions and
other procedures in an effort likely to please conservative Christian activists and other
supporters of President Donald Trump The US Department of Health and Human Services
said on Thursday it will create a division within its Office of Civil Rights to give it ldquothe focus it
needs to more vigorously and effectively enforce existing laws protecting the rights of
conscience and religious freedomrdquo Healthcare workers hospitals with religious affiliations
and medical students among others have been ldquobulliedrdquo by the federal government to
provide these services despite existing laws on religious and conscience rights the top HHS
official said Reuters
top of page
USPACOM
Bangladesh Cold wave
12 January - Severe cold wave is sweeping over Bangladesh It was recorded the lowest in
Bangladeshrsquos history at 26 degrees yesterday in Tetulia Rangpur division hellip According to
the MET office the cold wave is likely to continue till January 14 and one or two more cold
waves are expected later this month hellip The cold wave has disrupted the lives of many in
northern Bangladesh Poor people particularly the farmers and rickshaw-pullers have been
affected badly Children and elderly people are the worst affected Twenty-seven (27)
persons have been reported dead ReliefWeb
top of page
Indonesia Indonesia sends military to help fight health
crisis in Papua
17 January - Indonesia is deploying military paramedics to carry food and vaccines to a
remote part of its easternmost province of Papua where reports say at least 61 infants died
from malnutrition and diseases such as measles hellip The situation in the remote Asmat
regency was an ldquoextraordinary incidentrdquo the health ministry said in a statement adding that
it was sending 39 health workers there The Indonesian military has sent 53 personnel
including paramedics besides medical equipment vaccines and 11100 packages of instant
food it added hellip ldquoThere is a link between the malnutrition and (catching) other diseasesrdquo
[Health Minister Nila] Moeloek added ldquoIf yoursquore undernourished you will get those
diseasesrdquo Reuters
top of page
Philippines Sanofi will reimburse Philippines
government for unused Dengvaxia
16 January - Yesterday Sanofi Pasteur the French pharmaceutical giant announced it will
reimburse the Philippines government for unused doses of Dengvaxia its controversial
24
dengue vaccine The announcement comes weeks after the company recommended the
vaccine not be used in people without prior dengue infections as it may prime dengue-
naive recipients for more severe infections More than 800000 Filipino children had already
received Dengvaxia when the recommendation was made Sanofi Pasteur has responded
positively to the Philippine Department of Healths (DoH) request that we provide
reimbursement for the doses of Dengvaxia that were not used by the government in the
public vaccination program the company said CIDRAP News Scan (third item)
top of page
USSOUTHCOM
Brazil WHO recommends yellow fever shot to Sao Paulo
visitors
16 January - The World Health Organization said on Tuesday that the whole of Sao Paulo
state which includes Brazilrsquos largest city Sao Paulo should be considered at risk for yellow
fever and recommended foreign travelers get vaccinated before visiting But Brazilrsquos Health
Ministry said the WHO recommendation coming just weeks before Carnival when tens of
thousands of tourists descend on Brazil would not cause it to change its advisory that only
travelers going to rural areas need to get vaccinated Deputy Health Minister Antonio Carlos
Nardi said Carnival celebrations in February were in urban areas and that visitors would not
be at risk if they stayed in cities Nardi said the number of cases had risen again this year
but that there was no outbreak of yellow fever in the country Reuters
top of page
25
US Military | Global | Influenza | VeterinaryFood Safety | Wellness | Contact Us
USAFRICOM | USCENTCOM | USEUCOM | USNORTHCOM | USPACOM | USSOUTHCOM
The Army Public Health Weekly Update does not analyze the information as to its strategic or tactical impact on the US Army and is not a medical
intelligence product Medical intelligence is available from the National Center for Medical Intelligence
External Links The appearance of external hyperlinks does not constitute endorsement by the US Army of this Web site or the information products
or services contained therein For other than authorized activities such as military exchanges and MWR sites the US Army does not exercise any
editorial control over the information you may find at these locations Such links are provided consistent with the stated purpose of this product
Although we avoid links to sites that may be blocked all sites may not be accessible from all locations While we verify the links at the time of
publication we cannot guarantee that they will be active in the future
Articles appearing in the Update do not necessarily represent US Army Medical Command opinionsviews policy or guidance and should not be
construed or interpreted as being endorsed by the US Army Medical Command
The Army Public Health Weekly Update is published by the Public Health Information Directorate Army Public Health Center
4
Classified Version of
the Weekly Update
An Army Public Health
Weekly Update is available
with articles classified up to
the SECRET level from the
USAPHC SIPRNet site
httpphcarmysmilmil
Look under Hot Topics amp
Current Issues
To access this version you
will need a SECRET
clearance and a SIPRNet
account
Links
A-Z Index
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(AKO)
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cohort study compared incidence rates of MVA-related injuries from 2007 through 2016
between service members with diagnosed insomnia and an unexposed cohort After
adjustment for multiple covariates service members with insomnia had more than double
the rate of MVA-related injuries compared to service members without insomnia A
subanalysis of service members with insomnia during 2014ndash2016 found no difference in risk
of MVA-related injury based on days supply of sleep aid medications prescribed in 365
days following insomnia diagnosis Medical Surveillance Monthly Report
top of page
Navy to pay to protect water supply after chemicals
found in Whidbey Island wells
17 January - The Navy will foot the bill for a filter system to protect the Coupeville water
supply from chemicals found in firefighting foam used at an airstrip near the Whidbey
Island town The action announced Tuesday is part of a broader Defense Department effort
mdash in Washington and elsewhere mdash to track pollution plumes from firefighting foam used at
military installations and offer assistance when the chemicals have been detected in
drinking-water supplies On Whidbey Island the Navy will pay to design install and operate
a filter system to treat perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances mdash or PFAS One of
these chemicals was found in a Coupeville drinking-water well at just below the 70 parts per
trillion lifetime exposure guideline set by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
Seattle Times
top of page
US Army medical research lab gets fast track approval
from FDA for malaria drug
16 January - The US Army Medical Materiel Development Activity here has received a Fast
Track designation from the US Food and Drug Administration for the development of
Tafenoquine a potential anti-malaria drug for adults Achieving FDA licensure of
Tafenoquine will provide a significant improvement over the current measures of malaria
prevention for US forces said Dr Lawrence Lightner project manager for the
Pharmaceutical Systems Project Management Office at USAMMDA Tafenoquine is only
required to be administered weekly while current preventive measures are required daily
and it protects against all forms of malaria Armymil
top of page
GLOBAL
Black Death spread by humans not rats
15 January - Rats were not to blame for the spread of plague during the Black Death
according to a study The rodents and their fleas were thought to have spread a series of
5
outbreaks in 14th-19th Century Europe But a team from the universities of Oslo and Ferrara
now says the first the Black Death can be largely ascribed to human fleas and body lice
The study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science uses records of its
pattern and scale [Researchers created] three models where the disease was spread by rats
airborne transmission fleas and lice that live on humans and their clothes In seven out of
the nine cities studied the human parasite model was a much better match for the pattern
of the outbreak It mirrored how quickly it spread and how many people it affected The
conclusion was very clear said Prof Stenseth The lice model fits best BBC News
top of page
Ebola vaccine proves effective in non-human primate
challenge 17 January - A single-dose modified vaccinia Ankara Ebola vaccine protected macaques
from Ebola virus after experimental infection hellip In the study 12 primates were challenged
with Ebola virus Makona strain in both a prime and booster dose While six control animals
contracted Ebola virus the immunized monkeys all showed high levels of Ebola
immunoglobulin G (IgG) and did not contract the virus This is the first study to demonstrate
the effectiveness of a novel recombinant modified vaccinia Ankara (MVA)-based vaccine
containing Ebola-like particles hellip The MVA-EBOV vaccine could be very usefulmdashnot only
for containing an outbreak by emergency immunization but as a routine vaccine for a
target population in EBOV endemic areas the authors wrote
CIDRAP News Scan (fourth item)
top of page
Hold the salt gut reaction may impair the brains of mice 18 January - We are often warned of the dangers of high levels of salt in our diet yet the
risks of salt consumption and the effects of salt on the body including the brain are not
entirely clear In a new mouse study scientists link changes in the gut caused by a high-salt
diet to impaired blood flow in the brain This reduced blood flow can eventually lead to
impaired cognition that could be reversed by changing back to a normal diet hellip In this
study mice were fed a high-salt diet (HSD) containing 16 times the amount of sodium
chloride typically found in their food After eight weeks their brains showed a 20 to 30
percent reduction in blood flow compared to mice that ate normal food This drop in blood
flow was accompanied by the appearance of dementia-like symptoms including defects in
the ability of HSD mice to recognize objects navigate a maze and properly build a nest
When the mice were returned to a normal diet both blood flow and cognition improved
suggesting that the negative effects of excessive salt consumption could be reversible NIH
top of page
NIH scientists find microbes on the skin of mice promote
tissue healing immunity 18 January - Beneficial bacteria on the skin of lab mice work with the animalsrsquo immune
systems to defend against disease-causing microbes and accelerate wound healing
6
according to new research from scientists at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious
Diseases part of the National Institutes of Health Researchers say untangling similar
mechanisms in humans may improve approaches to managing skin wounds and treating
other damaged tissues NIH
top of page
Repeated head hits not just concussions may lead to a
type of chronic brain damage
18 January - We live in an age of heightened awareness about concussions From
battlefields around the world to football fields in the US weve heard about the dangers
caused when the brain rattles around inside the skull and the possible link between
concussions and the degenerative brain disease chronic traumatic encephalopathy hellip But
now a high-powered team of researchers says all that focus on concussions may be missing
the mark A [new] study hellip presents the strongest case yet that repetitive hits to the head
that dont lead to concussions mdashmeaning no loss of consciousness or other symptoms that
can include headaches dizziness vision problems or confusion mdash cause CTE Weve had an
inkling that subconcussive hits mdash the ones that dont [show] neurological signs and
symptoms mdash may be associated with CTE says Dr Lee Goldstein an associate professor of
psychiatry at the Boston University School of Medicine and the lead investigator on the
study We now have solid scientific evidence to say that is so NPR
top of page
Study identifies malaria resistance genes possible drug
targets
16 January - A new study of drug resistance in the parasite responsible for roughly half of all
malaria cases worldwide has identified more than 80 genes that contribute to resistance
some of which could provide important information for drug development researchers say
CIDRAP
top of page
UK study finds surfers more likely to be colonized with
resistant bacteria
17 January - A first-of-its-kind study combining surveillance of antibiotic-resistant bacteria
in bathing waters and human exposure estimates has found that surfers are more likely to
be colonized by drug-resistant bacteria than non-surfers hellip The study hellip aimed to estimate
the prevalence of Escherichia coli harboring the extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL)
gene blaCTX-M in waters along the UK coastline CTX-M genes represent nearly 80 of
ESBLs in clinical isolates and can encode resistance to multiple antibiotics Previous research
has indicated that ingesting seawater containing antibiotic-resistant E coli is associated with
gut colonization by these bacteria and that swimming is a risk factor for urinary tract
infections caused by ESBL-producing bacteria hellip While surfers colonised by potentially
7
pathogenic [antibiotic-resistant bacteria] may by asymptomatic gut bacteria are a major
source of infection and these bacteria may cause problems if colonised individuals develop
a health condition in the future that makes them more susceptible to infections the
authors write CIDRAP StewardshipResistance Scan (second item)
top of page
ZIKA VIRUS
Brazil study hints at dengue cross-protection in Zikas
wake
17 January - An outbreak of Zika virus in 2015 in Brazil may have provided some cross-
protection against dengue infection according to researchers who studied disease
surveillance data in a slum community of Salvador the countrys fourth-largest city
Before 2015 positive tests for dengue virus followed annual second- or third-quarter peaks
However they saw a much smaller peak in 2015 during the Zika outbreak with dengue
positive showing no peak in 2016 and 2017 The frequency of confirmed dengue in patients
with febrile illness fell from 25 before the Zika epidemic to 3 after the outbreak
However over the same period the percentage of patients who tested positive for
chikungunya virus infection increased significantly from 7 before the Zika epidemic to
20 after suggesting that the environmental conditions including mosquito populations
were still in place after the Zika epidemic CIDRAP News Scan (second item)
top of page
Brazilian studies highlight Zika microcephaly patterns
16 January - A new case-control study based in one of
Brazils Zika hot spots reaffirmed the link between Zika and
microcephaly and offered one of the first estimates of Zika-
linked microcephaly prevalence in areas experiencing an
outbreak The study also found that timing of exposure and
evidence of infection in infants were the only risk factors a
key finding given lingering questions about whether any other factors were involved in the
unusually high levels of birth defects in Brazils outbreak Also another group that looked at
microcephaly patterns in another of Brazils hard-hit Zika regions found that microcephaly
prevalence was higher in areas marked by poorer living conditions CIDRAP
top of page
Scientists find Zika virus in 3 mosquito species not
known to carry it
17 January - Zika virus was discovered in the salivary glands of five mosquito species caught
in the wild in Mexico including three previously unreported hellip Though Aedes aegypti and
8
Ae albopictus are the main vectors of the disease (and also transmit dengue chikungunya
and yellow fever) other species have been theorized to be able to carry the Zika virus as
well Mexican researchers looked at Ae aegypti and Ae vexans as well as Culex
quinquefasciatus Cx coronator and Cx tarsalis They collected 579 mosquitoes over 5
separate days from September to November 2016 in different parts of the Guadalajara
metropolitan area They were able to isolate in cell culture Zika virus from different body
partsmdashincluding the salivary glandsmdashof female mosquitoes representing all five species and
in whole male Ae aegypti and Cx quinquefasciatus mosquitoes
CIDRAP News Scan (third item)
top of page
Zika infection during pregnancy may disrupt fetal oxygen
supply 18 January - Zika virus infection appears to affect oxygen delivery to the fetuses of pregnant
monkeys according to a small study Researchers also observed a high degree of
inflammation in the placenta and lining of the uterus which can harm the fetal immune
system and increase a newborns susceptibility to additional infections hellip [Researchers] used
non-invasive imaging to evaluate how persistent Zika infection affects pregnancy in five
rhesus macaques The team found that the virus induces high levels of inflammation in the
blood vessels of the uterus and damages placental villi the branch-like growths that help
transfer oxygen and nutrients from maternal blood to the fetus The researchers suggest
that this damage may disrupt oxygen transport to the fetus which can restrict its growth
and lead to stillbirth among other conditions NIH
top of page
INFLUENZA
AFHSB DoD Seasonal Influenza Surveillance Summary For Week 1
NORTHCOM Influenza activity continued to increase with the majority of states
experiencing moderate to high activity
EUCOM Influenza activity in EUCOM increased and ranged from minimal to high
depending on the country
PACOM Influenza activity continued to increase throughout PACOM and was high
in Hawaii and the Republic of Korea
CENTCOM and AFRICOM Since week 48 TMDS data has not been sent to AFHSB
Therefore the CENTCOM map and figure are not presented as the data will be
incomplete
SOUTHCOM Since week 48 TMDS data has not been sent to AFHSB Therefore
SOUTHCOM data is incomplete and will not be provided
top of page
9
APHC US Army Influenza Activity Report
For the week ending 6 January 2018 (week 1)
In week 1 722 influenza A-positive specimens were reported by Army medical treatment
facilities which is a 45 increase from the 498 positive influenza A specimens reported in
week 52 This influenza season is on track to be one of the most active according to the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) To decrease the spread of flu ill Service
Members should be placed on quarters and the flu vaccine should be administered to
unvaccinated individuals Furthermore the CDC recommends taking antivirals within 48
hours of symptom onset to lessen the symptoms of the flu for those that do become ill
APHC
top of page
CDC Flu View - Weekly US Influenza Surveillance
Report
During week 1 (December 31 2017-January 6 2018) influenza activity increased in the
United States
Viral Surveillance The most frequently identified influenza virus subtype reported
by public health laboratories during week 1 was influenza A(H3) The percentage of
respiratory specimens testing positive for influenza in clinical laboratories remained
elevated
Pneumonia and Influenza Mortality The proportion of deaths attributed to
pneumonia and influenza (PampI) was at the system-specific epidemic threshold in the
National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) Mortality Surveillance System
Influenza-associated Pediatric Deaths Seven influenza-associated pediatric deaths
were reported CDC
top of page
ECDC Flu News Europe
Week 12018 (1ndash7 January 2018)
Influenza activity was increasing in countries in northern southern and western
Europe
Both influenza type A and B viruses were co-circulating and different patterns of
circulation were observed across countries in the Region
Of the individuals sampled on presenting with ILI or ARI to sentinel primary
healthcare sites 42 tested positive for influenza viruses similar to the 44 in the
previous week
EuroMOMO data showed excess mortality in the elderly (gt65 years of age) for the
United-Kingdom (Scotland) Spain and Portugal
European Center for Disease Prevention and ControlWHO
top of page
10
For CDC reducing flu spread takes priority over nuclear
attack preparedness
15 January - The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention changed the topic of a nuclear
strike preparedness session opting to focus on a widespread flu outbreak The Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention has postponed a planned Tuesday session on nuclear attack
preparedness deciding instead to focus the workshop on influenza The agency announced
the switch in topics late Friday citing the spike in flu cases as the reason for the pivot To
date this influenza season is notable for the sheer volume of flu that most of the United
States is seeing at the same time which can stress health systems according to a CDC
statement The vast majority of this activity has been caused by influenza A H3N2
associated with severe illness in young children and people 65 years and older NPR
top of page
NHRC Operational Infectious Diseases - Weekly
Surveillance Report
11 January - Febrile respiratory illness cases
Military Recruits - 24 positive of 33 tested
CDC Border Infectious Disease Surveillance and Zika Surveillance - 122 positive of
157 tested
DoD Beneficiaries ndash 12 positive of 21 tested Naval Health Research Center
top of page
lsquoSmart thermometersrsquo track flu season in real time
16 January ndash A company making ldquosmart thermometersrdquo that upload body temperatures to
its website claims to be tracking this yearrsquos flu season faster and in greater geographic detail
than public health authorities can This yearrsquos flu season mdash which the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention considers ldquomoderately severerdquo mdash has left Missouri and Iowa the
ldquosickest states in the countryrdquo said Inder Singh the founder of Kinsahealthcom California
has had its worst outbreak in five years with nearly 1 percent of the state exhibiting flu
symptoms on Jan 2 he added By contrast New York New England and the Southeast have
had relatively mild seasons so far but cases are rising and should peak in two weeks Mr
Singhrsquos data paints a different picture from that of the CDC which held a news conference
Friday to announce that flu activity was ldquowidespreadrdquo across the continental United States
which is unusual The New York Times
top of page
Study reveals more H1N1 deaths in those exposed to 57
pandemic
17 January - hellip [Researchers have] found more evidence that exposure to a pandemic strain
can make people more susceptible to the next pandemic strainmdashif the viruses are greatly
11
different from each other hellip For the 2009 H1N1 pandemic season the investigators found
peaks in death rates in people from [United States and Mexico] who were 52 years old
corresponding with a birth year of 1957 when the H2N2 Asian flu pandemic occurred The
team said the vulnerability that they and others have noted in subsequent pandemics marks
an unappreciated risk factor and has all the markings of a cohort effect showing the value
of studying flu deaths by individual birth year instead of very large age-groups The findings
suggest that increased pandemic deaths in people primed in early life by viruses that have
little to no antigenic overlap with new pandemic or seasonal viruses might result in
responses that increase the pathogenicity of the disease possibly compromising lung
function the group wrote CIDRAP
top of page
USAFSAM amp DHA DoD Global Laboratory-Based
Influenza Surveillance Program During 17 - 30 December 2017 (Surveillance Weeks 51 amp 52) a total of 434 specimens were
collected and received from 58 locations Results were finalized for 396 specimens from 57
locations During Week 51 there were 115 influenza viruses detected 88 influenza A(H3N2)
(including two coinfections) 11 influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 and 16 influenza B (including two
coinfections) During Week 51 the influenza percent positive was approximately 38
During Week 52 there were 44 influenza viruses detected 35 influenza A(H3N2) (including
two coinfections) two influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 (including one coinfection) and seven
influenza B viruses (including one coinfection) The influenza percent positive was
approximately 49 during Week 52 The influenza percent positive for the season is 17
US Air Force School of Aerospace Medicine amp Defense Health Agency
top of page
VETERINARYFOOD SAFETY
Dozens of brands of ice cream bars now on recall for
Listeria 14 January - A Listeria-related ice cream bar recall that started Jan 5 with less than 400
cases of frozen treats now includes additional flavors and brands totaling close to 29000
cases sent to more than 35 retail chains across the country No illnesses have been
confirmed in connection with the ice cream products However finished samples tested
positive for Listeria monocytogenes before the initial recall and more samples have tested
positive since then spurring Fieldbrook Foods Corp to broaden its recall hellip Officials are
concerned that consumers and entities along the food supply chain may still have the
recalled ice cream treats in their freezers hellip ldquoThere is no evidence of any contamination
prior to Oct 31 2017 but the company has issued the recall back to Jan 1 2017 through
an abundance of caution and in full cooperation with the FDA (Food and Drug
Administration)rdquo according to the recall notice posted on the FDA website
Food Safety News
top of page
12
French police search Lactalis sites after baby milk scare
17 January -French police were searching several sites belonging to dairy producer Lactalis
on Wednesday following a salmonella contamination scare that prompted a global recall of
several baby food products a source at the Paris prosecutorrsquos office said The scandal
deepened this month when it emerged some of the recalled baby foods had still made their
way onto shop shelves in a number of supermarket chains The Paris prosecutor opened a
preliminary probe into the salmonella contamination scare in late December Reuters
top of page
Fugu freakout Dont eat the blowfish Japanese officials
warn
16 January - Officials in the central Japanese city of Gamagori
are warning residents not to eat blowfish purchased from a
local supermarket after potentially deadly parts of the fish were
inadvertently sold The market sold five packages of fish
without removing their livers which can contain a potent
neurotoxin Three of the packages of fish have been recovered
by authorities but two others remain at large hellip Eating fugu liver can paralyze motor
nerves and in a serious case cause respiratory arrest leading to death regional officials
said in a warning statement Blowfish known in Japan as fugu is a highly prized delicacy
both as sashimi or as an ingredient in soup but the fishs liver ovaries and skin contain the
poison tetrodotoxin and the parts must be removed by specially trained and licensed
preparers There is no known antidote to the poison NPR
top of page
Multistate outbreak of Salmonella infections linked to
coconut tree brand frozen shredded coconut
16 January - CDC public health and regulatory officials in several states and the US Food
and Drug Administration (FDA) are investigating a multistate outbreak of Salmonella
infections hellip As of January 12 2018 25 people infected with the outbreak strains of
Salmonella I 4[5]12b- (24 people) or Salmonella Newport (1 person) have been reported
from 9 states One more ill person infected with the outbreak strain of Salmonella I
4[5]12b- has been reported from Canada hellip Illnesses started on dates ranging from May
11 2017 to November 4 2017 Ill people range in age from 1 year to 82 with a median age
of 19 Among ill people 19 (76) are male Six people (24) report being hospitalized No
deaths have been reported hellip The frozen shredded coconut linked to this outbreak was
used as an ingredient in Asian-style dessert drinks served at restaurants The product was
also sold in grocery stores and markets in several states Frozen shredded coconut can last
for several months if kept frozen and may still be in retail stores or in peoplersquos homes CDC
top of page
13
Pets Raw meat diets pose a risk to both animal and
human health
12 January - Experts are warning dog and cat owners to be
aware of the risks associated with feeding their pets raw meat-
based diets (RMBDs) instead of the more conventional dry or
canned pet foods hellip Of most concern however is the risk to
public or animal health due to contamination of RMBDs with
zoonotic bacteria and parasites that can pass between animals and humans hellip [A] team of
researchers based in The Netherlands say these diets may be contaminated with bacteria
and parasites and as such may pose a risk to both animal and human health hellip They
analysed 35 commercial frozen RMBDs from eight different brands widely available in The
Netherlands Escherichia coli O157 was isolated from eight products (23) Listeria species
were present in 15 products (43) and Salmonella species in seven products (20) Both E
coli O157 and Salmonella infections in humans have been linked with serious illnesses
Outbreak News Today
top of page
South Africa More Listeriosis cases and deaths Whatrsquos
being done
18 January - In just a matter of a few days the Listeriosis outbreak described as the ldquolargest
documented listeriosis outbreak South Africa has ever experiencedrdquo has grown by 19 cases
with a new outbreak total of 767 laboratory-confirmed listeriosis cases as of Jan 16 The
National Institute of Communicable Diseases (NICD) now puts the death toll at 81 hellip At
present the source of the outbreak is not known hellip The National Department of Health is hellip
interviewing all persons who have been diagnosed with Listeria to understand what food
they have eaten and identify trends Outbreak News Today
top of page
The parasite on the playground
16 January - Millions of American children have been
exposed to hellip parasites roundworms of the genus Toxocara
live in the intestines of cats and dogs especially strays
Microscopic eggs from Toxocara are shed in the animalsrsquo
feces contaminating yards playgrounds and sandboxes
These infectious particles cling to the hands of children
playing outside Once swallowed the eggs soon hatch releasing larvae that wriggle through
the body and evidence suggests may even reach the brain compromising learning and
cognition hellip The latest [CDC] report hellip estimated that about 5 percent of the United States
population mdash or about 16 million people mdash carry Toxocara antibodies in their blood a sign
they have ingested the eggs But the risk is not evenly shared Poor and minority
populations are more often exposed The rate among African Americans was almost 7
14
percent according to the CDC Among people living below the poverty line the infection
rate was 10 percent The New York Times
top of page
WELLNESS
Current cigarette smoking among adults mdash United States
2016
19 January - hellip The proportion of US adults who smoke cigarettes declined from 209 in
2005 (451 million smokers) to 155 in 2016 (378 million smokers) but cigarette smoking
prevalence did not change significantly during 2015ndash2016 Sociodemographic disparities in
cigarette smoking persist During 2005ndash2016 increases occurred in the proportion of adult
ever smokers who quit smoking (508 to 590) Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report
top of page
Cycling does not harm mens sexual health study says
12 January - Cycling does not negatively affect mens
sexual health or urinary function a study has found
Researchers compared cyclists with runners and
swimmers and found their sexual and urinary health was
comparable The findings contrasted with previous
studies that suggested cycling could negatively affect mens sexual function the studys
authors said They said the benefits to cycling far outweigh the risks hellip Sexual health and
urinary function were comparable in all three groups researchers said although some
cyclists were more prone to urethral strictures - a narrowing of the urethra hellip The cyclists
did have statistically significant higher odds of genital numbness the study found
BBC News
top of page
Obesity shaved almost a year off US life expectancy
study says
16 January - Rising obesity rates in the US may be responsible for as many as 186000
deaths per year according to a new analysis The US has seen only relatively modest
improvements in mortality rates over the past couple decades despite public health
victories including major reductions in smoking Death rates tied to cardiovascular disease
cancer and other chronic illnesses for example declined more slowly in the US than in any
of 13 similarly developed nations between 1999 and 2015 Researchers hellip thought rising
obesity rates might have something to do with it so they pored over two subsequent
editions of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Study (NHANES) and the
associated death records Increases in obesity according to the paper slowed gains in
15
mortality rates by 054 between 1988 and 2011 shaving an estimated 09 years off the
national life expectancy at age 40 and resulting in as many as 186000 additional deaths in
2011 alone Time
top of page
Researchers probe stomach surgeryrsquos lsquomiraclersquo secrets
17 January - Nima Saeidi an assistant professor of surgery at Harvard Medical School and
Massachusetts General Hospital and a member of the Center for Engineering in Medicine
had started down one career path when a lecture on Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery
redirected him The MGH lecture outlined not just the procedurersquos striking effectiveness for
weight loss hellip but also its promise against diabetes high blood pressure cholesterol and
fatty-food cravings hellip The idea of a compound that mimics the positives of Roux-en-Y is
particularly enticing amid twin national epidemics of obesity and diabetes The surgery
has been shown to affect insulin sensitivity and production of the hunger hormones ghrelin
and leptin It also alters the composition of a patientrsquos microbiome hellip Saeidi and colleagues
have turned to new rodent models spectroscopic instruments and novel informatics
techniques that shift inquiry from a traditional hypothesis-based step-by-step exploration
to one that seeks to reverse-engineer the problem by searching broadly for postoperative
chemical changes in the body and then working to understand them Harvard Gazette
top of page
Wal-Mart launches program to safely dispose of unused
opioids
17 January - The company said patients filling any new class II opioid prescriptions at its
pharmacies will receive a free packet of the product - called DisposeRx - when filling a new
prescription hellip People filling prescriptions at Samrsquos Club can also get DisposeRx at their
pharmacies In order to safely dispose of opioids patients would add warm water and the
DisposeRx powder to their pill bottle which then forms a biodegradable gel around the
pills Reuters
top of page
USAFRICOM
Democratic Republic of the Congo Five cases of vaccine-
derived polio detected in DRC
12 January - In an advance notification the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) said
there are five new cases of vaccine-derived polio from the Democratic Republic of the
Congo (DRC) hellip These are the first cases reported from the DRC in 2018 but illness onset
dates havent yet been recorded For 2017 there were 12 cases of circulating vaccine-
derived poliovirus type 2 (cVDPV2) in the DRC and 74 reported in Syria hellip In other polio
news Science published an article today describing the increasing number of polio
16
environmental samples found in Pakistan despite the dwindling number of human cases
The authors said the increasing samples could be sign that polio is on its last legs in that
country before eradication CIDRAP News Scan (fourth item)
top of page
Namibia Hepatitis E
15 January - During the week ending on 13 October 2017 the first identified case was
admitted to a public hospital in Windhoek district with signs and symptoms of hepatitis E
During the week ending on 8 January 2018 a total of 237 probable and confirmed cases
have been seen at various health facilities in Windhoek district with the same signs and
symptoms All suspected patients tested negative for hepatitis A B and C A total of 41 of
the 237 cases were sent for further testing and on 8 January 2018 the results showed 21
were IgM positive for hepatitis E WHO
top of page
Nigeria 3 die from Lassa fever in Ebonyi State
16 January - Four cases of Lassa fever were reported among health care workers in Ebonyi
State in southeastern Nigeria with three passing away from the lethal viral disease
the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) said The Honorable Minister of Health
Professor Isaac Adewole immediately requested that NCDC provides support to the
Government of Ebonyi State to investigate and respond to this cluster of cases
Outbreak News Today
top of page
South Africa Cape Town slashes water use amid drought
18 January - The South African city of Cape Town will slash residents water allowance to 50
litres a day from next month amid fears that it could become the worlds first major city to
run out of water The city had reached a point of no return Mayor Patricia de Lille said
Cape Town a popular tourist destination has been hit by its worst drought in a century Ms
De Lille warned that the city risked reaching Day Zero on 21 April when taps in homes
could run dry We can no longer ask people to stop wasting water We must force them
she said at a press conference Despite our urging for months 60 of Capetonians are
callously using more than 87 litres per day she added referring to the current daily limit A
person uses about 15 litres per minute for a typical shower and the same amount when
flushing a standard toilet according to WaterWise a South African water usage awareness
campaign BBC News
top of page
South Sudan Rift Valley fever suspected in South Sudan
VHF cluster 2 cases reported
16 January - Preliminary indications into South Sudans recent viral hemorrhagic fever
outbreak suggest that Rift Valley fever (RVF) may be the cause the World Health
17
Organization (WHO) Regional Office for Africa said in its latest outbreak and health
emergencies update The initial cluster included three patients from the same area of
Eastern Lakes state who had similar symptoms and died from their infections in December
hellip [T]wo more suspected human cases have been reported and involve an 18-year-old
pregnant woman who is a contact of a patient in the initial cluster and a 14-year-old girl
from a neighboring village who had no epidemiologic links to the original three cluster
patients State and national task forces have been activated The WHO said surveillance in
humans and animals needs to be strengthened in the area while efforts continue to confirm
the cause of the outbreak CIDRAP New Scan (first item)
top of page
Uganda Doctors in Uganda warn crisis level blood
shortage is putting lives at risk
16 January - Uganda is grappling with a critical shortage of blood that is affecting services
and putting patientsrsquo lives at risk The health ministryrsquos blood bank facility in the capital
Kampala which stores and distributes supplies to hospitals is practically empty It has just
150 units of blood remaining not enough to meet requirements on an average day in the
city Nationally Uganda needs at least 340000 units of safe blood annually but usually only
collects 200000 a year A six-day countrywide blood collection drive was launched by the
ministry on Monday The Uganda Medical Association an umbrella organisation of doctors
in public health facilities said the shortage was ldquoalmost [at] crisis levelrdquo resulting in the
cancellation of hospital operations and prioritisation of cases The Guardian
top of page
United Republic of Tanzania Cholera
12 January - From 15 August 2015 through 7 January 2018 33421 cases including 542
deaths (case fatality rate = 162) have been reported across all 26 regions of the United
Republic of Tanzania (Tanzania mainland and Zanzibar) Tanzania mainland has reported
86 of the total cases in this outbreak Children under five years old accounted for 114 of
cases Since the beginning of the outbreak over 7000 specimens have been tested for
cholera and 47 were positive for Vibrio cholerae by culture From 1 January 2017 through
31 December 4985 cases including 99 deaths have been reported in Tanzania Mainland
and Zanzibar The number of cases as well as geographical spread of cholera has markedly
reduced compared to the two previous years WHO
top of page
Zambia Zambia relaxes restrictions as cholera outbreak
slows
14 January - Zambia on Sunday relaxed rules imposed to curb the spread of cholera as the
number of new cases being reported has halved Health Minister Chitalu Chilufya said
Schools and some markets will be allowed to re-open Chilufya told a news conference in
Lusaka Police arrested 55 people in the capital on Friday after residents rioted over a curfew
18
and ban on street vending The outbreak has killed 74 people since Oct 4 including 68 in
Lusaka Chilufya said The number of new cases has fallen to around 80 from 164 a week
ago Of the more than 3200 cases reported in total more than 3000 have been in Lusaka
All government and private schools will re-open on Jan 22 but Zambiarsquos two largest public
universities will remain closed for now President Edgar Lungu last month directed the
military to clean markets and unblock drains to help to fight the spread of the waterborne
disease Reuters
top of page
USCENTCOM
Yemen UN hopes imports will help stave off famine in
Yemen as diphtheria spreads
16 January - United Nations aid agencies called on Tuesday for the Yemeni port of
Hodeidah to remain open beyond Friday the date set by a Saudi-led military coalition to
permit continued delivery of life-saving goods Yemen is the worldrsquos worst humanitarian
crisis where 83 million people are entirely dependent on external food aid and 400000
children suffer from severe acute malnutrition a potentially lethal condition they said hellip
More than 11 million Yemeni children - virtually all - need humanitarian assistance Relano
said UNICEF figures show 25000 Yemeni babies die at birth or before the age of one
month hellip A diphtheria outbreak in Yemen is ldquospreading quicklyrdquo with 678 cases and 48
associated deaths in four months Fadela Chaib of the World Health Organisation said
Reuters
top of page
USEUCOM
Ukraine Ukraine conflict has increased spread of HIV in
silent epidemic
16 January - The conflict in eastern Ukraine has increased the
spread of HIV throughout the country as people have been
uprooted by the violence a new study finds hellip Ukraine has
among the highest HIV rates in Europe with an estimated
220000 infected in a country of about 45 million hellip The study
says the HIV crisis in Ukraine has become a silent epidemic because half of HIV-infected
people are unaware they have the infection and around 40 percent of newly diagnosed
people are in the later stages of the disease hellip [A]n international team of scientists hellip
analyzed viral migration patterns in Ukraine from 2012 to 2015 They found a correlation
between the movement of 17 million people uprooted by the war and the spread of HIV
19
hellip The HIV epidemic has shifted from being associated with drug injections in the 1990s to
most new infections now being spread by sexual transmission the study found
Radio Free EuropeRadio Liberty
top of page
United Kingdom Britain appoints minister for loneliness
amid growing isolation
17 January - Britain has appointed a minister for loneliness to take forward the work of
murdered lawmaker Jo Cox and tackle the isolation felt by more than one in ten people in
the UK Sports minister Tracey Crouch will take on the new role [to] develop a strategy to
address the problem which research has linked with dementia early mortality and high
blood pressure hellip The majority of people over 75 live alone and about 200000 older people
in the UK have not had a conversation with a friend or relative in more than a month
according to government data Most doctors in Britain see between one and five patients a
day who have come mainly because they are lonely according to the Campaign to End
Loneliness Reuters
top of page
United Kingdom Measles outbreak spreading across
England warn health officials
16 January - Public health experts are urging parents to immunise their children against
measles as the potentially deadly bug has now spread to five regions in England With more
than 100 cases confirmed Public Health England warns that the UK could be on the verge
of an outbreak due to a rise in cases across Europe People who have recently visited
Romania Italy and Germany and have not been fully immunised against measles via the
MMR vaccine may be most at risk they said hellip However not all cases are being spread by
those who have visited countries included in the European outbreak a spokesperson for
Public Health England told The Independent We know that measles cases are showing a
link to importation from Europe where there are ongoing outbreaks but the cases are also
spreading within the UK in under-vaccinated communities they explained
The Independent
top of page
United Kingdom UK drugs regulator plays down Brexit
disruption threat
16 January - Britainrsquos drugs regulator said on Tuesday it would work to minimise disruption
caused by the country leaving the European Union as it tried to allay some of the worst
fears of pharmaceutical companies The highly regulated drugs industry is concerned about
Brexit fallout as the European Medicines Agency (EMA) relocates from London to
Amsterdam creating uncertainty about drug approvals after 2019 The Medicines and
Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) said in an update on its website that it
20
hoped to have a continuing relationship with the EMA after Brexit but if this did not happen
it would be ldquopragmaticrdquo in setting UK drug rules hellip The agency also noted that London and
Brussels agreed last month that ldquogoods placed on the market under Union law before the
withdrawal date may freely circulate on the markets of the UK and the Union with no need
for product modifications or re-labellingrdquo The Association of the British Pharmaceutical
Industry hellip warned that planning for a scenario where Britain had a separate regulatory
system required further detail Reuters
top of page
USNORTHCOM
US FDA expects IV fluid shortage to improve in coming
weeks months
16 January - The US Food and Drug Administration said on Tuesday it expects a shortage
of intravenous saline fluids for hospitals due to damage to key manufacturing facilities in
Puerto Rico to improve over the coming weeks and months FDA Commissioner Scott
Gottlieb said that the FDA has approved IV saline products from more companies which is
expected to boost US supply He said the tight supply of saline products had been
exacerbated by increased demand as a result of a worse-than-normal flu season At the
same time Gottlieb said the agency is concerned about a potential shortage of IV
containers as demand for empty IV containers increases as an alternative to filled bags
Reuters
top of page
US Mapping how the opioid epidemic sparked an HIV
outbreak
14 January - When people started to show up to Dr William Cookes primary care office in
Austin Ind in 2014 with HIV Cooke knew it was probably related to the regions opioid
epidemic But what he and the rest of the public health community didnt know was who
they were missing or how long the HIV outbreak had been going on Now theyve got a
clearer picture mdash literally In visualizations published in the Journal of Infectious Diseases
dots and lines define the constellations of Indianas HIV outbreak Using genetic
sequencing they show how long the outbreak had been going on connected people who
hadnt previously been linked by traditional methods and showed how the virus jumped
from a slowly spreading infection to a virus transmitted quickly via needle sharing and
other smaller sub-epidemics NPR
top of page
21
US More $$ needed for health emergencies senators
told 17 January - The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) needs more funding to
effectively prepare for public health emergencies an HHS official said at a Senate hearing
Wednesday We cant do more things with limited resources Robert Kadlec MD HHS
assistant secretary for preparedness and response told members of the Senate Health
Education Labor amp Pensions (HELP) Committee hellip We have a $33 trillion healthcare
system of which we invest $250 million for preparedness Its just a drop in the bucket
The hearing focused on the pending reauthorization of the Pandemic and All-Hazards
Preparedness Act (PAHPA) a 2006 law that established Kadlecs position at HHS and
implemented several programs aimed at getting the nation ready for emergencies such as
developing and acquiring drugs and vaccines to be used when needed MedPage Today
top of page
US National Academies report endorses lower BAC
higher alcohol taxes 18 January - Getting to Zero Alcohol-Impaired Driving Fatalities a new report from the
National Academies of Sciences Engineering and Medicine recommends reducing state
laws criminalizing alcohol-impaired driving from 008 to 005 percent blood alcohol
concentration (BAC) increasing alcohol taxes significantly and other actions to address the
persistent problem of alcohol-impaired driving deaths There are more than 10000 alcohol-
impaired driving fatalities annually in the United States and the report says stakeholders
that range from transportation systems to alcohol retailers to law enforcement should join
forces to implement policies and systems to eliminate these preventable deaths The
committee that conducted the study and wrote the report recommended a number of
actions lowering state laws on BAC raising alcohol taxes significantly strengthening policies
to prevent illegal alcohol sales to people under 21 and to already intoxicated adults
enacting all-offender ignition interlock laws and providing effective treatment for offenders
when needed Occupational Health and Safety
top of page
US NIH study shows steep increase in rate of alcohol-
related ER visits 12 January - The rate of alcohol-related visits to US emergency departments (ED) increased
by nearly 50 percent between 2006 and 2014 especially among females and drinkers who
are middle-aged or older according to a new study conducted by researchers at the
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) part of the National Institutes
of Health hellip These increases far outpaced changes in the number and rate of ED visits for
any cause during the years studied hellip Although men account for more alcohol-related ED
visits than women the rate of such visits increased more among females than males (53
percent versus 40 percent annually) over the study period NIH
top of page
22
US Number of Americans without health insurance
grows in Trumps first year new figures show 16 January - The number of Americans without health coverage which declined for years
after passage of the Affordable Care Act shot up in President Trumprsquos first year in office
according to data from a new national survey At the end of 2017 122 of US adults
lacked health insurance up from 109 at the end of 2016 as President Obama was
completing his final term The increase of 13 percentage points although modest marks
the first time since at least 2008 that the share of adults without insurance increased from
the previous year hellip The increase indicates that 32 million Americans lost health coverage
in 2017 Gallup concluded Los Angeles Times
top of page
US The Big Number 3500 infants die of sleep-related
issues 13 January - Thatrsquos the number of babies in the United States who die each year as the
result of a sleep-related issue according to a new report from the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention The causes vary but child health experts believe many of the
deaths would be preventable if more parents adhered to safe-sleep practices For instance
babies should be placed on their backs to sleep but the CDC found that 22 percent of
moms placed babies on their side or stomach Soft bedding mdash blankets pillows bumper
pads mdash should be kept out of the sleep area but 39 percent of moms said they used soft
bedding And itrsquos a good idea to share a room with an infant but not a bed with a baby Still
61 percent of moms told the CDC they had slept with their babies The Washington Post
top of page
US US faces oversupply of antibiotic-free chicken -
Sanderson Farms 16 January - Supplies of chicken raised without antibiotics are outstripping demand a major
US poultry producer said on Tuesday a sign of overproduction that could eat into
processorsrsquo profits Large chicken and restaurant companies including Tyson Foods Inc and
McDonaldrsquos Corp have raced to cut antibiotics from poultry supplies as public health
experts have warned about the link between use of the drugs in farms and the rise of drug-
resistant bacteria Antibiotic-free chickens made up an average of 405 percent of all fresh
US production for the first 10 months of 2017 Sanderson Farms Inc said in a regulatory
filing However only 64 percent of sales were for products sold as antibiotic-free (ABF)
according to Sanderson the third-largest US poultry producer Reuters
top of page
US US government to shield health workers under
religious freedom 18 January - The US government is seeking to further protect the ldquoconscience and religious
23
freedomrdquo of health workers whose beliefs prevent them from carrying out abortions and
other procedures in an effort likely to please conservative Christian activists and other
supporters of President Donald Trump The US Department of Health and Human Services
said on Thursday it will create a division within its Office of Civil Rights to give it ldquothe focus it
needs to more vigorously and effectively enforce existing laws protecting the rights of
conscience and religious freedomrdquo Healthcare workers hospitals with religious affiliations
and medical students among others have been ldquobulliedrdquo by the federal government to
provide these services despite existing laws on religious and conscience rights the top HHS
official said Reuters
top of page
USPACOM
Bangladesh Cold wave
12 January - Severe cold wave is sweeping over Bangladesh It was recorded the lowest in
Bangladeshrsquos history at 26 degrees yesterday in Tetulia Rangpur division hellip According to
the MET office the cold wave is likely to continue till January 14 and one or two more cold
waves are expected later this month hellip The cold wave has disrupted the lives of many in
northern Bangladesh Poor people particularly the farmers and rickshaw-pullers have been
affected badly Children and elderly people are the worst affected Twenty-seven (27)
persons have been reported dead ReliefWeb
top of page
Indonesia Indonesia sends military to help fight health
crisis in Papua
17 January - Indonesia is deploying military paramedics to carry food and vaccines to a
remote part of its easternmost province of Papua where reports say at least 61 infants died
from malnutrition and diseases such as measles hellip The situation in the remote Asmat
regency was an ldquoextraordinary incidentrdquo the health ministry said in a statement adding that
it was sending 39 health workers there The Indonesian military has sent 53 personnel
including paramedics besides medical equipment vaccines and 11100 packages of instant
food it added hellip ldquoThere is a link between the malnutrition and (catching) other diseasesrdquo
[Health Minister Nila] Moeloek added ldquoIf yoursquore undernourished you will get those
diseasesrdquo Reuters
top of page
Philippines Sanofi will reimburse Philippines
government for unused Dengvaxia
16 January - Yesterday Sanofi Pasteur the French pharmaceutical giant announced it will
reimburse the Philippines government for unused doses of Dengvaxia its controversial
24
dengue vaccine The announcement comes weeks after the company recommended the
vaccine not be used in people without prior dengue infections as it may prime dengue-
naive recipients for more severe infections More than 800000 Filipino children had already
received Dengvaxia when the recommendation was made Sanofi Pasteur has responded
positively to the Philippine Department of Healths (DoH) request that we provide
reimbursement for the doses of Dengvaxia that were not used by the government in the
public vaccination program the company said CIDRAP News Scan (third item)
top of page
USSOUTHCOM
Brazil WHO recommends yellow fever shot to Sao Paulo
visitors
16 January - The World Health Organization said on Tuesday that the whole of Sao Paulo
state which includes Brazilrsquos largest city Sao Paulo should be considered at risk for yellow
fever and recommended foreign travelers get vaccinated before visiting But Brazilrsquos Health
Ministry said the WHO recommendation coming just weeks before Carnival when tens of
thousands of tourists descend on Brazil would not cause it to change its advisory that only
travelers going to rural areas need to get vaccinated Deputy Health Minister Antonio Carlos
Nardi said Carnival celebrations in February were in urban areas and that visitors would not
be at risk if they stayed in cities Nardi said the number of cases had risen again this year
but that there was no outbreak of yellow fever in the country Reuters
top of page
25
US Military | Global | Influenza | VeterinaryFood Safety | Wellness | Contact Us
USAFRICOM | USCENTCOM | USEUCOM | USNORTHCOM | USPACOM | USSOUTHCOM
The Army Public Health Weekly Update does not analyze the information as to its strategic or tactical impact on the US Army and is not a medical
intelligence product Medical intelligence is available from the National Center for Medical Intelligence
External Links The appearance of external hyperlinks does not constitute endorsement by the US Army of this Web site or the information products
or services contained therein For other than authorized activities such as military exchanges and MWR sites the US Army does not exercise any
editorial control over the information you may find at these locations Such links are provided consistent with the stated purpose of this product
Although we avoid links to sites that may be blocked all sites may not be accessible from all locations While we verify the links at the time of
publication we cannot guarantee that they will be active in the future
Articles appearing in the Update do not necessarily represent US Army Medical Command opinionsviews policy or guidance and should not be
construed or interpreted as being endorsed by the US Army Medical Command
The Army Public Health Weekly Update is published by the Public Health Information Directorate Army Public Health Center
5
outbreaks in 14th-19th Century Europe But a team from the universities of Oslo and Ferrara
now says the first the Black Death can be largely ascribed to human fleas and body lice
The study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science uses records of its
pattern and scale [Researchers created] three models where the disease was spread by rats
airborne transmission fleas and lice that live on humans and their clothes In seven out of
the nine cities studied the human parasite model was a much better match for the pattern
of the outbreak It mirrored how quickly it spread and how many people it affected The
conclusion was very clear said Prof Stenseth The lice model fits best BBC News
top of page
Ebola vaccine proves effective in non-human primate
challenge 17 January - A single-dose modified vaccinia Ankara Ebola vaccine protected macaques
from Ebola virus after experimental infection hellip In the study 12 primates were challenged
with Ebola virus Makona strain in both a prime and booster dose While six control animals
contracted Ebola virus the immunized monkeys all showed high levels of Ebola
immunoglobulin G (IgG) and did not contract the virus This is the first study to demonstrate
the effectiveness of a novel recombinant modified vaccinia Ankara (MVA)-based vaccine
containing Ebola-like particles hellip The MVA-EBOV vaccine could be very usefulmdashnot only
for containing an outbreak by emergency immunization but as a routine vaccine for a
target population in EBOV endemic areas the authors wrote
CIDRAP News Scan (fourth item)
top of page
Hold the salt gut reaction may impair the brains of mice 18 January - We are often warned of the dangers of high levels of salt in our diet yet the
risks of salt consumption and the effects of salt on the body including the brain are not
entirely clear In a new mouse study scientists link changes in the gut caused by a high-salt
diet to impaired blood flow in the brain This reduced blood flow can eventually lead to
impaired cognition that could be reversed by changing back to a normal diet hellip In this
study mice were fed a high-salt diet (HSD) containing 16 times the amount of sodium
chloride typically found in their food After eight weeks their brains showed a 20 to 30
percent reduction in blood flow compared to mice that ate normal food This drop in blood
flow was accompanied by the appearance of dementia-like symptoms including defects in
the ability of HSD mice to recognize objects navigate a maze and properly build a nest
When the mice were returned to a normal diet both blood flow and cognition improved
suggesting that the negative effects of excessive salt consumption could be reversible NIH
top of page
NIH scientists find microbes on the skin of mice promote
tissue healing immunity 18 January - Beneficial bacteria on the skin of lab mice work with the animalsrsquo immune
systems to defend against disease-causing microbes and accelerate wound healing
6
according to new research from scientists at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious
Diseases part of the National Institutes of Health Researchers say untangling similar
mechanisms in humans may improve approaches to managing skin wounds and treating
other damaged tissues NIH
top of page
Repeated head hits not just concussions may lead to a
type of chronic brain damage
18 January - We live in an age of heightened awareness about concussions From
battlefields around the world to football fields in the US weve heard about the dangers
caused when the brain rattles around inside the skull and the possible link between
concussions and the degenerative brain disease chronic traumatic encephalopathy hellip But
now a high-powered team of researchers says all that focus on concussions may be missing
the mark A [new] study hellip presents the strongest case yet that repetitive hits to the head
that dont lead to concussions mdashmeaning no loss of consciousness or other symptoms that
can include headaches dizziness vision problems or confusion mdash cause CTE Weve had an
inkling that subconcussive hits mdash the ones that dont [show] neurological signs and
symptoms mdash may be associated with CTE says Dr Lee Goldstein an associate professor of
psychiatry at the Boston University School of Medicine and the lead investigator on the
study We now have solid scientific evidence to say that is so NPR
top of page
Study identifies malaria resistance genes possible drug
targets
16 January - A new study of drug resistance in the parasite responsible for roughly half of all
malaria cases worldwide has identified more than 80 genes that contribute to resistance
some of which could provide important information for drug development researchers say
CIDRAP
top of page
UK study finds surfers more likely to be colonized with
resistant bacteria
17 January - A first-of-its-kind study combining surveillance of antibiotic-resistant bacteria
in bathing waters and human exposure estimates has found that surfers are more likely to
be colonized by drug-resistant bacteria than non-surfers hellip The study hellip aimed to estimate
the prevalence of Escherichia coli harboring the extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL)
gene blaCTX-M in waters along the UK coastline CTX-M genes represent nearly 80 of
ESBLs in clinical isolates and can encode resistance to multiple antibiotics Previous research
has indicated that ingesting seawater containing antibiotic-resistant E coli is associated with
gut colonization by these bacteria and that swimming is a risk factor for urinary tract
infections caused by ESBL-producing bacteria hellip While surfers colonised by potentially
7
pathogenic [antibiotic-resistant bacteria] may by asymptomatic gut bacteria are a major
source of infection and these bacteria may cause problems if colonised individuals develop
a health condition in the future that makes them more susceptible to infections the
authors write CIDRAP StewardshipResistance Scan (second item)
top of page
ZIKA VIRUS
Brazil study hints at dengue cross-protection in Zikas
wake
17 January - An outbreak of Zika virus in 2015 in Brazil may have provided some cross-
protection against dengue infection according to researchers who studied disease
surveillance data in a slum community of Salvador the countrys fourth-largest city
Before 2015 positive tests for dengue virus followed annual second- or third-quarter peaks
However they saw a much smaller peak in 2015 during the Zika outbreak with dengue
positive showing no peak in 2016 and 2017 The frequency of confirmed dengue in patients
with febrile illness fell from 25 before the Zika epidemic to 3 after the outbreak
However over the same period the percentage of patients who tested positive for
chikungunya virus infection increased significantly from 7 before the Zika epidemic to
20 after suggesting that the environmental conditions including mosquito populations
were still in place after the Zika epidemic CIDRAP News Scan (second item)
top of page
Brazilian studies highlight Zika microcephaly patterns
16 January - A new case-control study based in one of
Brazils Zika hot spots reaffirmed the link between Zika and
microcephaly and offered one of the first estimates of Zika-
linked microcephaly prevalence in areas experiencing an
outbreak The study also found that timing of exposure and
evidence of infection in infants were the only risk factors a
key finding given lingering questions about whether any other factors were involved in the
unusually high levels of birth defects in Brazils outbreak Also another group that looked at
microcephaly patterns in another of Brazils hard-hit Zika regions found that microcephaly
prevalence was higher in areas marked by poorer living conditions CIDRAP
top of page
Scientists find Zika virus in 3 mosquito species not
known to carry it
17 January - Zika virus was discovered in the salivary glands of five mosquito species caught
in the wild in Mexico including three previously unreported hellip Though Aedes aegypti and
8
Ae albopictus are the main vectors of the disease (and also transmit dengue chikungunya
and yellow fever) other species have been theorized to be able to carry the Zika virus as
well Mexican researchers looked at Ae aegypti and Ae vexans as well as Culex
quinquefasciatus Cx coronator and Cx tarsalis They collected 579 mosquitoes over 5
separate days from September to November 2016 in different parts of the Guadalajara
metropolitan area They were able to isolate in cell culture Zika virus from different body
partsmdashincluding the salivary glandsmdashof female mosquitoes representing all five species and
in whole male Ae aegypti and Cx quinquefasciatus mosquitoes
CIDRAP News Scan (third item)
top of page
Zika infection during pregnancy may disrupt fetal oxygen
supply 18 January - Zika virus infection appears to affect oxygen delivery to the fetuses of pregnant
monkeys according to a small study Researchers also observed a high degree of
inflammation in the placenta and lining of the uterus which can harm the fetal immune
system and increase a newborns susceptibility to additional infections hellip [Researchers] used
non-invasive imaging to evaluate how persistent Zika infection affects pregnancy in five
rhesus macaques The team found that the virus induces high levels of inflammation in the
blood vessels of the uterus and damages placental villi the branch-like growths that help
transfer oxygen and nutrients from maternal blood to the fetus The researchers suggest
that this damage may disrupt oxygen transport to the fetus which can restrict its growth
and lead to stillbirth among other conditions NIH
top of page
INFLUENZA
AFHSB DoD Seasonal Influenza Surveillance Summary For Week 1
NORTHCOM Influenza activity continued to increase with the majority of states
experiencing moderate to high activity
EUCOM Influenza activity in EUCOM increased and ranged from minimal to high
depending on the country
PACOM Influenza activity continued to increase throughout PACOM and was high
in Hawaii and the Republic of Korea
CENTCOM and AFRICOM Since week 48 TMDS data has not been sent to AFHSB
Therefore the CENTCOM map and figure are not presented as the data will be
incomplete
SOUTHCOM Since week 48 TMDS data has not been sent to AFHSB Therefore
SOUTHCOM data is incomplete and will not be provided
top of page
9
APHC US Army Influenza Activity Report
For the week ending 6 January 2018 (week 1)
In week 1 722 influenza A-positive specimens were reported by Army medical treatment
facilities which is a 45 increase from the 498 positive influenza A specimens reported in
week 52 This influenza season is on track to be one of the most active according to the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) To decrease the spread of flu ill Service
Members should be placed on quarters and the flu vaccine should be administered to
unvaccinated individuals Furthermore the CDC recommends taking antivirals within 48
hours of symptom onset to lessen the symptoms of the flu for those that do become ill
APHC
top of page
CDC Flu View - Weekly US Influenza Surveillance
Report
During week 1 (December 31 2017-January 6 2018) influenza activity increased in the
United States
Viral Surveillance The most frequently identified influenza virus subtype reported
by public health laboratories during week 1 was influenza A(H3) The percentage of
respiratory specimens testing positive for influenza in clinical laboratories remained
elevated
Pneumonia and Influenza Mortality The proportion of deaths attributed to
pneumonia and influenza (PampI) was at the system-specific epidemic threshold in the
National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) Mortality Surveillance System
Influenza-associated Pediatric Deaths Seven influenza-associated pediatric deaths
were reported CDC
top of page
ECDC Flu News Europe
Week 12018 (1ndash7 January 2018)
Influenza activity was increasing in countries in northern southern and western
Europe
Both influenza type A and B viruses were co-circulating and different patterns of
circulation were observed across countries in the Region
Of the individuals sampled on presenting with ILI or ARI to sentinel primary
healthcare sites 42 tested positive for influenza viruses similar to the 44 in the
previous week
EuroMOMO data showed excess mortality in the elderly (gt65 years of age) for the
United-Kingdom (Scotland) Spain and Portugal
European Center for Disease Prevention and ControlWHO
top of page
10
For CDC reducing flu spread takes priority over nuclear
attack preparedness
15 January - The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention changed the topic of a nuclear
strike preparedness session opting to focus on a widespread flu outbreak The Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention has postponed a planned Tuesday session on nuclear attack
preparedness deciding instead to focus the workshop on influenza The agency announced
the switch in topics late Friday citing the spike in flu cases as the reason for the pivot To
date this influenza season is notable for the sheer volume of flu that most of the United
States is seeing at the same time which can stress health systems according to a CDC
statement The vast majority of this activity has been caused by influenza A H3N2
associated with severe illness in young children and people 65 years and older NPR
top of page
NHRC Operational Infectious Diseases - Weekly
Surveillance Report
11 January - Febrile respiratory illness cases
Military Recruits - 24 positive of 33 tested
CDC Border Infectious Disease Surveillance and Zika Surveillance - 122 positive of
157 tested
DoD Beneficiaries ndash 12 positive of 21 tested Naval Health Research Center
top of page
lsquoSmart thermometersrsquo track flu season in real time
16 January ndash A company making ldquosmart thermometersrdquo that upload body temperatures to
its website claims to be tracking this yearrsquos flu season faster and in greater geographic detail
than public health authorities can This yearrsquos flu season mdash which the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention considers ldquomoderately severerdquo mdash has left Missouri and Iowa the
ldquosickest states in the countryrdquo said Inder Singh the founder of Kinsahealthcom California
has had its worst outbreak in five years with nearly 1 percent of the state exhibiting flu
symptoms on Jan 2 he added By contrast New York New England and the Southeast have
had relatively mild seasons so far but cases are rising and should peak in two weeks Mr
Singhrsquos data paints a different picture from that of the CDC which held a news conference
Friday to announce that flu activity was ldquowidespreadrdquo across the continental United States
which is unusual The New York Times
top of page
Study reveals more H1N1 deaths in those exposed to 57
pandemic
17 January - hellip [Researchers have] found more evidence that exposure to a pandemic strain
can make people more susceptible to the next pandemic strainmdashif the viruses are greatly
11
different from each other hellip For the 2009 H1N1 pandemic season the investigators found
peaks in death rates in people from [United States and Mexico] who were 52 years old
corresponding with a birth year of 1957 when the H2N2 Asian flu pandemic occurred The
team said the vulnerability that they and others have noted in subsequent pandemics marks
an unappreciated risk factor and has all the markings of a cohort effect showing the value
of studying flu deaths by individual birth year instead of very large age-groups The findings
suggest that increased pandemic deaths in people primed in early life by viruses that have
little to no antigenic overlap with new pandemic or seasonal viruses might result in
responses that increase the pathogenicity of the disease possibly compromising lung
function the group wrote CIDRAP
top of page
USAFSAM amp DHA DoD Global Laboratory-Based
Influenza Surveillance Program During 17 - 30 December 2017 (Surveillance Weeks 51 amp 52) a total of 434 specimens were
collected and received from 58 locations Results were finalized for 396 specimens from 57
locations During Week 51 there were 115 influenza viruses detected 88 influenza A(H3N2)
(including two coinfections) 11 influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 and 16 influenza B (including two
coinfections) During Week 51 the influenza percent positive was approximately 38
During Week 52 there were 44 influenza viruses detected 35 influenza A(H3N2) (including
two coinfections) two influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 (including one coinfection) and seven
influenza B viruses (including one coinfection) The influenza percent positive was
approximately 49 during Week 52 The influenza percent positive for the season is 17
US Air Force School of Aerospace Medicine amp Defense Health Agency
top of page
VETERINARYFOOD SAFETY
Dozens of brands of ice cream bars now on recall for
Listeria 14 January - A Listeria-related ice cream bar recall that started Jan 5 with less than 400
cases of frozen treats now includes additional flavors and brands totaling close to 29000
cases sent to more than 35 retail chains across the country No illnesses have been
confirmed in connection with the ice cream products However finished samples tested
positive for Listeria monocytogenes before the initial recall and more samples have tested
positive since then spurring Fieldbrook Foods Corp to broaden its recall hellip Officials are
concerned that consumers and entities along the food supply chain may still have the
recalled ice cream treats in their freezers hellip ldquoThere is no evidence of any contamination
prior to Oct 31 2017 but the company has issued the recall back to Jan 1 2017 through
an abundance of caution and in full cooperation with the FDA (Food and Drug
Administration)rdquo according to the recall notice posted on the FDA website
Food Safety News
top of page
12
French police search Lactalis sites after baby milk scare
17 January -French police were searching several sites belonging to dairy producer Lactalis
on Wednesday following a salmonella contamination scare that prompted a global recall of
several baby food products a source at the Paris prosecutorrsquos office said The scandal
deepened this month when it emerged some of the recalled baby foods had still made their
way onto shop shelves in a number of supermarket chains The Paris prosecutor opened a
preliminary probe into the salmonella contamination scare in late December Reuters
top of page
Fugu freakout Dont eat the blowfish Japanese officials
warn
16 January - Officials in the central Japanese city of Gamagori
are warning residents not to eat blowfish purchased from a
local supermarket after potentially deadly parts of the fish were
inadvertently sold The market sold five packages of fish
without removing their livers which can contain a potent
neurotoxin Three of the packages of fish have been recovered
by authorities but two others remain at large hellip Eating fugu liver can paralyze motor
nerves and in a serious case cause respiratory arrest leading to death regional officials
said in a warning statement Blowfish known in Japan as fugu is a highly prized delicacy
both as sashimi or as an ingredient in soup but the fishs liver ovaries and skin contain the
poison tetrodotoxin and the parts must be removed by specially trained and licensed
preparers There is no known antidote to the poison NPR
top of page
Multistate outbreak of Salmonella infections linked to
coconut tree brand frozen shredded coconut
16 January - CDC public health and regulatory officials in several states and the US Food
and Drug Administration (FDA) are investigating a multistate outbreak of Salmonella
infections hellip As of January 12 2018 25 people infected with the outbreak strains of
Salmonella I 4[5]12b- (24 people) or Salmonella Newport (1 person) have been reported
from 9 states One more ill person infected with the outbreak strain of Salmonella I
4[5]12b- has been reported from Canada hellip Illnesses started on dates ranging from May
11 2017 to November 4 2017 Ill people range in age from 1 year to 82 with a median age
of 19 Among ill people 19 (76) are male Six people (24) report being hospitalized No
deaths have been reported hellip The frozen shredded coconut linked to this outbreak was
used as an ingredient in Asian-style dessert drinks served at restaurants The product was
also sold in grocery stores and markets in several states Frozen shredded coconut can last
for several months if kept frozen and may still be in retail stores or in peoplersquos homes CDC
top of page
13
Pets Raw meat diets pose a risk to both animal and
human health
12 January - Experts are warning dog and cat owners to be
aware of the risks associated with feeding their pets raw meat-
based diets (RMBDs) instead of the more conventional dry or
canned pet foods hellip Of most concern however is the risk to
public or animal health due to contamination of RMBDs with
zoonotic bacteria and parasites that can pass between animals and humans hellip [A] team of
researchers based in The Netherlands say these diets may be contaminated with bacteria
and parasites and as such may pose a risk to both animal and human health hellip They
analysed 35 commercial frozen RMBDs from eight different brands widely available in The
Netherlands Escherichia coli O157 was isolated from eight products (23) Listeria species
were present in 15 products (43) and Salmonella species in seven products (20) Both E
coli O157 and Salmonella infections in humans have been linked with serious illnesses
Outbreak News Today
top of page
South Africa More Listeriosis cases and deaths Whatrsquos
being done
18 January - In just a matter of a few days the Listeriosis outbreak described as the ldquolargest
documented listeriosis outbreak South Africa has ever experiencedrdquo has grown by 19 cases
with a new outbreak total of 767 laboratory-confirmed listeriosis cases as of Jan 16 The
National Institute of Communicable Diseases (NICD) now puts the death toll at 81 hellip At
present the source of the outbreak is not known hellip The National Department of Health is hellip
interviewing all persons who have been diagnosed with Listeria to understand what food
they have eaten and identify trends Outbreak News Today
top of page
The parasite on the playground
16 January - Millions of American children have been
exposed to hellip parasites roundworms of the genus Toxocara
live in the intestines of cats and dogs especially strays
Microscopic eggs from Toxocara are shed in the animalsrsquo
feces contaminating yards playgrounds and sandboxes
These infectious particles cling to the hands of children
playing outside Once swallowed the eggs soon hatch releasing larvae that wriggle through
the body and evidence suggests may even reach the brain compromising learning and
cognition hellip The latest [CDC] report hellip estimated that about 5 percent of the United States
population mdash or about 16 million people mdash carry Toxocara antibodies in their blood a sign
they have ingested the eggs But the risk is not evenly shared Poor and minority
populations are more often exposed The rate among African Americans was almost 7
14
percent according to the CDC Among people living below the poverty line the infection
rate was 10 percent The New York Times
top of page
WELLNESS
Current cigarette smoking among adults mdash United States
2016
19 January - hellip The proportion of US adults who smoke cigarettes declined from 209 in
2005 (451 million smokers) to 155 in 2016 (378 million smokers) but cigarette smoking
prevalence did not change significantly during 2015ndash2016 Sociodemographic disparities in
cigarette smoking persist During 2005ndash2016 increases occurred in the proportion of adult
ever smokers who quit smoking (508 to 590) Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report
top of page
Cycling does not harm mens sexual health study says
12 January - Cycling does not negatively affect mens
sexual health or urinary function a study has found
Researchers compared cyclists with runners and
swimmers and found their sexual and urinary health was
comparable The findings contrasted with previous
studies that suggested cycling could negatively affect mens sexual function the studys
authors said They said the benefits to cycling far outweigh the risks hellip Sexual health and
urinary function were comparable in all three groups researchers said although some
cyclists were more prone to urethral strictures - a narrowing of the urethra hellip The cyclists
did have statistically significant higher odds of genital numbness the study found
BBC News
top of page
Obesity shaved almost a year off US life expectancy
study says
16 January - Rising obesity rates in the US may be responsible for as many as 186000
deaths per year according to a new analysis The US has seen only relatively modest
improvements in mortality rates over the past couple decades despite public health
victories including major reductions in smoking Death rates tied to cardiovascular disease
cancer and other chronic illnesses for example declined more slowly in the US than in any
of 13 similarly developed nations between 1999 and 2015 Researchers hellip thought rising
obesity rates might have something to do with it so they pored over two subsequent
editions of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Study (NHANES) and the
associated death records Increases in obesity according to the paper slowed gains in
15
mortality rates by 054 between 1988 and 2011 shaving an estimated 09 years off the
national life expectancy at age 40 and resulting in as many as 186000 additional deaths in
2011 alone Time
top of page
Researchers probe stomach surgeryrsquos lsquomiraclersquo secrets
17 January - Nima Saeidi an assistant professor of surgery at Harvard Medical School and
Massachusetts General Hospital and a member of the Center for Engineering in Medicine
had started down one career path when a lecture on Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery
redirected him The MGH lecture outlined not just the procedurersquos striking effectiveness for
weight loss hellip but also its promise against diabetes high blood pressure cholesterol and
fatty-food cravings hellip The idea of a compound that mimics the positives of Roux-en-Y is
particularly enticing amid twin national epidemics of obesity and diabetes The surgery
has been shown to affect insulin sensitivity and production of the hunger hormones ghrelin
and leptin It also alters the composition of a patientrsquos microbiome hellip Saeidi and colleagues
have turned to new rodent models spectroscopic instruments and novel informatics
techniques that shift inquiry from a traditional hypothesis-based step-by-step exploration
to one that seeks to reverse-engineer the problem by searching broadly for postoperative
chemical changes in the body and then working to understand them Harvard Gazette
top of page
Wal-Mart launches program to safely dispose of unused
opioids
17 January - The company said patients filling any new class II opioid prescriptions at its
pharmacies will receive a free packet of the product - called DisposeRx - when filling a new
prescription hellip People filling prescriptions at Samrsquos Club can also get DisposeRx at their
pharmacies In order to safely dispose of opioids patients would add warm water and the
DisposeRx powder to their pill bottle which then forms a biodegradable gel around the
pills Reuters
top of page
USAFRICOM
Democratic Republic of the Congo Five cases of vaccine-
derived polio detected in DRC
12 January - In an advance notification the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) said
there are five new cases of vaccine-derived polio from the Democratic Republic of the
Congo (DRC) hellip These are the first cases reported from the DRC in 2018 but illness onset
dates havent yet been recorded For 2017 there were 12 cases of circulating vaccine-
derived poliovirus type 2 (cVDPV2) in the DRC and 74 reported in Syria hellip In other polio
news Science published an article today describing the increasing number of polio
16
environmental samples found in Pakistan despite the dwindling number of human cases
The authors said the increasing samples could be sign that polio is on its last legs in that
country before eradication CIDRAP News Scan (fourth item)
top of page
Namibia Hepatitis E
15 January - During the week ending on 13 October 2017 the first identified case was
admitted to a public hospital in Windhoek district with signs and symptoms of hepatitis E
During the week ending on 8 January 2018 a total of 237 probable and confirmed cases
have been seen at various health facilities in Windhoek district with the same signs and
symptoms All suspected patients tested negative for hepatitis A B and C A total of 41 of
the 237 cases were sent for further testing and on 8 January 2018 the results showed 21
were IgM positive for hepatitis E WHO
top of page
Nigeria 3 die from Lassa fever in Ebonyi State
16 January - Four cases of Lassa fever were reported among health care workers in Ebonyi
State in southeastern Nigeria with three passing away from the lethal viral disease
the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) said The Honorable Minister of Health
Professor Isaac Adewole immediately requested that NCDC provides support to the
Government of Ebonyi State to investigate and respond to this cluster of cases
Outbreak News Today
top of page
South Africa Cape Town slashes water use amid drought
18 January - The South African city of Cape Town will slash residents water allowance to 50
litres a day from next month amid fears that it could become the worlds first major city to
run out of water The city had reached a point of no return Mayor Patricia de Lille said
Cape Town a popular tourist destination has been hit by its worst drought in a century Ms
De Lille warned that the city risked reaching Day Zero on 21 April when taps in homes
could run dry We can no longer ask people to stop wasting water We must force them
she said at a press conference Despite our urging for months 60 of Capetonians are
callously using more than 87 litres per day she added referring to the current daily limit A
person uses about 15 litres per minute for a typical shower and the same amount when
flushing a standard toilet according to WaterWise a South African water usage awareness
campaign BBC News
top of page
South Sudan Rift Valley fever suspected in South Sudan
VHF cluster 2 cases reported
16 January - Preliminary indications into South Sudans recent viral hemorrhagic fever
outbreak suggest that Rift Valley fever (RVF) may be the cause the World Health
17
Organization (WHO) Regional Office for Africa said in its latest outbreak and health
emergencies update The initial cluster included three patients from the same area of
Eastern Lakes state who had similar symptoms and died from their infections in December
hellip [T]wo more suspected human cases have been reported and involve an 18-year-old
pregnant woman who is a contact of a patient in the initial cluster and a 14-year-old girl
from a neighboring village who had no epidemiologic links to the original three cluster
patients State and national task forces have been activated The WHO said surveillance in
humans and animals needs to be strengthened in the area while efforts continue to confirm
the cause of the outbreak CIDRAP New Scan (first item)
top of page
Uganda Doctors in Uganda warn crisis level blood
shortage is putting lives at risk
16 January - Uganda is grappling with a critical shortage of blood that is affecting services
and putting patientsrsquo lives at risk The health ministryrsquos blood bank facility in the capital
Kampala which stores and distributes supplies to hospitals is practically empty It has just
150 units of blood remaining not enough to meet requirements on an average day in the
city Nationally Uganda needs at least 340000 units of safe blood annually but usually only
collects 200000 a year A six-day countrywide blood collection drive was launched by the
ministry on Monday The Uganda Medical Association an umbrella organisation of doctors
in public health facilities said the shortage was ldquoalmost [at] crisis levelrdquo resulting in the
cancellation of hospital operations and prioritisation of cases The Guardian
top of page
United Republic of Tanzania Cholera
12 January - From 15 August 2015 through 7 January 2018 33421 cases including 542
deaths (case fatality rate = 162) have been reported across all 26 regions of the United
Republic of Tanzania (Tanzania mainland and Zanzibar) Tanzania mainland has reported
86 of the total cases in this outbreak Children under five years old accounted for 114 of
cases Since the beginning of the outbreak over 7000 specimens have been tested for
cholera and 47 were positive for Vibrio cholerae by culture From 1 January 2017 through
31 December 4985 cases including 99 deaths have been reported in Tanzania Mainland
and Zanzibar The number of cases as well as geographical spread of cholera has markedly
reduced compared to the two previous years WHO
top of page
Zambia Zambia relaxes restrictions as cholera outbreak
slows
14 January - Zambia on Sunday relaxed rules imposed to curb the spread of cholera as the
number of new cases being reported has halved Health Minister Chitalu Chilufya said
Schools and some markets will be allowed to re-open Chilufya told a news conference in
Lusaka Police arrested 55 people in the capital on Friday after residents rioted over a curfew
18
and ban on street vending The outbreak has killed 74 people since Oct 4 including 68 in
Lusaka Chilufya said The number of new cases has fallen to around 80 from 164 a week
ago Of the more than 3200 cases reported in total more than 3000 have been in Lusaka
All government and private schools will re-open on Jan 22 but Zambiarsquos two largest public
universities will remain closed for now President Edgar Lungu last month directed the
military to clean markets and unblock drains to help to fight the spread of the waterborne
disease Reuters
top of page
USCENTCOM
Yemen UN hopes imports will help stave off famine in
Yemen as diphtheria spreads
16 January - United Nations aid agencies called on Tuesday for the Yemeni port of
Hodeidah to remain open beyond Friday the date set by a Saudi-led military coalition to
permit continued delivery of life-saving goods Yemen is the worldrsquos worst humanitarian
crisis where 83 million people are entirely dependent on external food aid and 400000
children suffer from severe acute malnutrition a potentially lethal condition they said hellip
More than 11 million Yemeni children - virtually all - need humanitarian assistance Relano
said UNICEF figures show 25000 Yemeni babies die at birth or before the age of one
month hellip A diphtheria outbreak in Yemen is ldquospreading quicklyrdquo with 678 cases and 48
associated deaths in four months Fadela Chaib of the World Health Organisation said
Reuters
top of page
USEUCOM
Ukraine Ukraine conflict has increased spread of HIV in
silent epidemic
16 January - The conflict in eastern Ukraine has increased the
spread of HIV throughout the country as people have been
uprooted by the violence a new study finds hellip Ukraine has
among the highest HIV rates in Europe with an estimated
220000 infected in a country of about 45 million hellip The study
says the HIV crisis in Ukraine has become a silent epidemic because half of HIV-infected
people are unaware they have the infection and around 40 percent of newly diagnosed
people are in the later stages of the disease hellip [A]n international team of scientists hellip
analyzed viral migration patterns in Ukraine from 2012 to 2015 They found a correlation
between the movement of 17 million people uprooted by the war and the spread of HIV
19
hellip The HIV epidemic has shifted from being associated with drug injections in the 1990s to
most new infections now being spread by sexual transmission the study found
Radio Free EuropeRadio Liberty
top of page
United Kingdom Britain appoints minister for loneliness
amid growing isolation
17 January - Britain has appointed a minister for loneliness to take forward the work of
murdered lawmaker Jo Cox and tackle the isolation felt by more than one in ten people in
the UK Sports minister Tracey Crouch will take on the new role [to] develop a strategy to
address the problem which research has linked with dementia early mortality and high
blood pressure hellip The majority of people over 75 live alone and about 200000 older people
in the UK have not had a conversation with a friend or relative in more than a month
according to government data Most doctors in Britain see between one and five patients a
day who have come mainly because they are lonely according to the Campaign to End
Loneliness Reuters
top of page
United Kingdom Measles outbreak spreading across
England warn health officials
16 January - Public health experts are urging parents to immunise their children against
measles as the potentially deadly bug has now spread to five regions in England With more
than 100 cases confirmed Public Health England warns that the UK could be on the verge
of an outbreak due to a rise in cases across Europe People who have recently visited
Romania Italy and Germany and have not been fully immunised against measles via the
MMR vaccine may be most at risk they said hellip However not all cases are being spread by
those who have visited countries included in the European outbreak a spokesperson for
Public Health England told The Independent We know that measles cases are showing a
link to importation from Europe where there are ongoing outbreaks but the cases are also
spreading within the UK in under-vaccinated communities they explained
The Independent
top of page
United Kingdom UK drugs regulator plays down Brexit
disruption threat
16 January - Britainrsquos drugs regulator said on Tuesday it would work to minimise disruption
caused by the country leaving the European Union as it tried to allay some of the worst
fears of pharmaceutical companies The highly regulated drugs industry is concerned about
Brexit fallout as the European Medicines Agency (EMA) relocates from London to
Amsterdam creating uncertainty about drug approvals after 2019 The Medicines and
Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) said in an update on its website that it
20
hoped to have a continuing relationship with the EMA after Brexit but if this did not happen
it would be ldquopragmaticrdquo in setting UK drug rules hellip The agency also noted that London and
Brussels agreed last month that ldquogoods placed on the market under Union law before the
withdrawal date may freely circulate on the markets of the UK and the Union with no need
for product modifications or re-labellingrdquo The Association of the British Pharmaceutical
Industry hellip warned that planning for a scenario where Britain had a separate regulatory
system required further detail Reuters
top of page
USNORTHCOM
US FDA expects IV fluid shortage to improve in coming
weeks months
16 January - The US Food and Drug Administration said on Tuesday it expects a shortage
of intravenous saline fluids for hospitals due to damage to key manufacturing facilities in
Puerto Rico to improve over the coming weeks and months FDA Commissioner Scott
Gottlieb said that the FDA has approved IV saline products from more companies which is
expected to boost US supply He said the tight supply of saline products had been
exacerbated by increased demand as a result of a worse-than-normal flu season At the
same time Gottlieb said the agency is concerned about a potential shortage of IV
containers as demand for empty IV containers increases as an alternative to filled bags
Reuters
top of page
US Mapping how the opioid epidemic sparked an HIV
outbreak
14 January - When people started to show up to Dr William Cookes primary care office in
Austin Ind in 2014 with HIV Cooke knew it was probably related to the regions opioid
epidemic But what he and the rest of the public health community didnt know was who
they were missing or how long the HIV outbreak had been going on Now theyve got a
clearer picture mdash literally In visualizations published in the Journal of Infectious Diseases
dots and lines define the constellations of Indianas HIV outbreak Using genetic
sequencing they show how long the outbreak had been going on connected people who
hadnt previously been linked by traditional methods and showed how the virus jumped
from a slowly spreading infection to a virus transmitted quickly via needle sharing and
other smaller sub-epidemics NPR
top of page
21
US More $$ needed for health emergencies senators
told 17 January - The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) needs more funding to
effectively prepare for public health emergencies an HHS official said at a Senate hearing
Wednesday We cant do more things with limited resources Robert Kadlec MD HHS
assistant secretary for preparedness and response told members of the Senate Health
Education Labor amp Pensions (HELP) Committee hellip We have a $33 trillion healthcare
system of which we invest $250 million for preparedness Its just a drop in the bucket
The hearing focused on the pending reauthorization of the Pandemic and All-Hazards
Preparedness Act (PAHPA) a 2006 law that established Kadlecs position at HHS and
implemented several programs aimed at getting the nation ready for emergencies such as
developing and acquiring drugs and vaccines to be used when needed MedPage Today
top of page
US National Academies report endorses lower BAC
higher alcohol taxes 18 January - Getting to Zero Alcohol-Impaired Driving Fatalities a new report from the
National Academies of Sciences Engineering and Medicine recommends reducing state
laws criminalizing alcohol-impaired driving from 008 to 005 percent blood alcohol
concentration (BAC) increasing alcohol taxes significantly and other actions to address the
persistent problem of alcohol-impaired driving deaths There are more than 10000 alcohol-
impaired driving fatalities annually in the United States and the report says stakeholders
that range from transportation systems to alcohol retailers to law enforcement should join
forces to implement policies and systems to eliminate these preventable deaths The
committee that conducted the study and wrote the report recommended a number of
actions lowering state laws on BAC raising alcohol taxes significantly strengthening policies
to prevent illegal alcohol sales to people under 21 and to already intoxicated adults
enacting all-offender ignition interlock laws and providing effective treatment for offenders
when needed Occupational Health and Safety
top of page
US NIH study shows steep increase in rate of alcohol-
related ER visits 12 January - The rate of alcohol-related visits to US emergency departments (ED) increased
by nearly 50 percent between 2006 and 2014 especially among females and drinkers who
are middle-aged or older according to a new study conducted by researchers at the
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) part of the National Institutes
of Health hellip These increases far outpaced changes in the number and rate of ED visits for
any cause during the years studied hellip Although men account for more alcohol-related ED
visits than women the rate of such visits increased more among females than males (53
percent versus 40 percent annually) over the study period NIH
top of page
22
US Number of Americans without health insurance
grows in Trumps first year new figures show 16 January - The number of Americans without health coverage which declined for years
after passage of the Affordable Care Act shot up in President Trumprsquos first year in office
according to data from a new national survey At the end of 2017 122 of US adults
lacked health insurance up from 109 at the end of 2016 as President Obama was
completing his final term The increase of 13 percentage points although modest marks
the first time since at least 2008 that the share of adults without insurance increased from
the previous year hellip The increase indicates that 32 million Americans lost health coverage
in 2017 Gallup concluded Los Angeles Times
top of page
US The Big Number 3500 infants die of sleep-related
issues 13 January - Thatrsquos the number of babies in the United States who die each year as the
result of a sleep-related issue according to a new report from the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention The causes vary but child health experts believe many of the
deaths would be preventable if more parents adhered to safe-sleep practices For instance
babies should be placed on their backs to sleep but the CDC found that 22 percent of
moms placed babies on their side or stomach Soft bedding mdash blankets pillows bumper
pads mdash should be kept out of the sleep area but 39 percent of moms said they used soft
bedding And itrsquos a good idea to share a room with an infant but not a bed with a baby Still
61 percent of moms told the CDC they had slept with their babies The Washington Post
top of page
US US faces oversupply of antibiotic-free chicken -
Sanderson Farms 16 January - Supplies of chicken raised without antibiotics are outstripping demand a major
US poultry producer said on Tuesday a sign of overproduction that could eat into
processorsrsquo profits Large chicken and restaurant companies including Tyson Foods Inc and
McDonaldrsquos Corp have raced to cut antibiotics from poultry supplies as public health
experts have warned about the link between use of the drugs in farms and the rise of drug-
resistant bacteria Antibiotic-free chickens made up an average of 405 percent of all fresh
US production for the first 10 months of 2017 Sanderson Farms Inc said in a regulatory
filing However only 64 percent of sales were for products sold as antibiotic-free (ABF)
according to Sanderson the third-largest US poultry producer Reuters
top of page
US US government to shield health workers under
religious freedom 18 January - The US government is seeking to further protect the ldquoconscience and religious
23
freedomrdquo of health workers whose beliefs prevent them from carrying out abortions and
other procedures in an effort likely to please conservative Christian activists and other
supporters of President Donald Trump The US Department of Health and Human Services
said on Thursday it will create a division within its Office of Civil Rights to give it ldquothe focus it
needs to more vigorously and effectively enforce existing laws protecting the rights of
conscience and religious freedomrdquo Healthcare workers hospitals with religious affiliations
and medical students among others have been ldquobulliedrdquo by the federal government to
provide these services despite existing laws on religious and conscience rights the top HHS
official said Reuters
top of page
USPACOM
Bangladesh Cold wave
12 January - Severe cold wave is sweeping over Bangladesh It was recorded the lowest in
Bangladeshrsquos history at 26 degrees yesterday in Tetulia Rangpur division hellip According to
the MET office the cold wave is likely to continue till January 14 and one or two more cold
waves are expected later this month hellip The cold wave has disrupted the lives of many in
northern Bangladesh Poor people particularly the farmers and rickshaw-pullers have been
affected badly Children and elderly people are the worst affected Twenty-seven (27)
persons have been reported dead ReliefWeb
top of page
Indonesia Indonesia sends military to help fight health
crisis in Papua
17 January - Indonesia is deploying military paramedics to carry food and vaccines to a
remote part of its easternmost province of Papua where reports say at least 61 infants died
from malnutrition and diseases such as measles hellip The situation in the remote Asmat
regency was an ldquoextraordinary incidentrdquo the health ministry said in a statement adding that
it was sending 39 health workers there The Indonesian military has sent 53 personnel
including paramedics besides medical equipment vaccines and 11100 packages of instant
food it added hellip ldquoThere is a link between the malnutrition and (catching) other diseasesrdquo
[Health Minister Nila] Moeloek added ldquoIf yoursquore undernourished you will get those
diseasesrdquo Reuters
top of page
Philippines Sanofi will reimburse Philippines
government for unused Dengvaxia
16 January - Yesterday Sanofi Pasteur the French pharmaceutical giant announced it will
reimburse the Philippines government for unused doses of Dengvaxia its controversial
24
dengue vaccine The announcement comes weeks after the company recommended the
vaccine not be used in people without prior dengue infections as it may prime dengue-
naive recipients for more severe infections More than 800000 Filipino children had already
received Dengvaxia when the recommendation was made Sanofi Pasteur has responded
positively to the Philippine Department of Healths (DoH) request that we provide
reimbursement for the doses of Dengvaxia that were not used by the government in the
public vaccination program the company said CIDRAP News Scan (third item)
top of page
USSOUTHCOM
Brazil WHO recommends yellow fever shot to Sao Paulo
visitors
16 January - The World Health Organization said on Tuesday that the whole of Sao Paulo
state which includes Brazilrsquos largest city Sao Paulo should be considered at risk for yellow
fever and recommended foreign travelers get vaccinated before visiting But Brazilrsquos Health
Ministry said the WHO recommendation coming just weeks before Carnival when tens of
thousands of tourists descend on Brazil would not cause it to change its advisory that only
travelers going to rural areas need to get vaccinated Deputy Health Minister Antonio Carlos
Nardi said Carnival celebrations in February were in urban areas and that visitors would not
be at risk if they stayed in cities Nardi said the number of cases had risen again this year
but that there was no outbreak of yellow fever in the country Reuters
top of page
25
US Military | Global | Influenza | VeterinaryFood Safety | Wellness | Contact Us
USAFRICOM | USCENTCOM | USEUCOM | USNORTHCOM | USPACOM | USSOUTHCOM
The Army Public Health Weekly Update does not analyze the information as to its strategic or tactical impact on the US Army and is not a medical
intelligence product Medical intelligence is available from the National Center for Medical Intelligence
External Links The appearance of external hyperlinks does not constitute endorsement by the US Army of this Web site or the information products
or services contained therein For other than authorized activities such as military exchanges and MWR sites the US Army does not exercise any
editorial control over the information you may find at these locations Such links are provided consistent with the stated purpose of this product
Although we avoid links to sites that may be blocked all sites may not be accessible from all locations While we verify the links at the time of
publication we cannot guarantee that they will be active in the future
Articles appearing in the Update do not necessarily represent US Army Medical Command opinionsviews policy or guidance and should not be
construed or interpreted as being endorsed by the US Army Medical Command
The Army Public Health Weekly Update is published by the Public Health Information Directorate Army Public Health Center
6
according to new research from scientists at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious
Diseases part of the National Institutes of Health Researchers say untangling similar
mechanisms in humans may improve approaches to managing skin wounds and treating
other damaged tissues NIH
top of page
Repeated head hits not just concussions may lead to a
type of chronic brain damage
18 January - We live in an age of heightened awareness about concussions From
battlefields around the world to football fields in the US weve heard about the dangers
caused when the brain rattles around inside the skull and the possible link between
concussions and the degenerative brain disease chronic traumatic encephalopathy hellip But
now a high-powered team of researchers says all that focus on concussions may be missing
the mark A [new] study hellip presents the strongest case yet that repetitive hits to the head
that dont lead to concussions mdashmeaning no loss of consciousness or other symptoms that
can include headaches dizziness vision problems or confusion mdash cause CTE Weve had an
inkling that subconcussive hits mdash the ones that dont [show] neurological signs and
symptoms mdash may be associated with CTE says Dr Lee Goldstein an associate professor of
psychiatry at the Boston University School of Medicine and the lead investigator on the
study We now have solid scientific evidence to say that is so NPR
top of page
Study identifies malaria resistance genes possible drug
targets
16 January - A new study of drug resistance in the parasite responsible for roughly half of all
malaria cases worldwide has identified more than 80 genes that contribute to resistance
some of which could provide important information for drug development researchers say
CIDRAP
top of page
UK study finds surfers more likely to be colonized with
resistant bacteria
17 January - A first-of-its-kind study combining surveillance of antibiotic-resistant bacteria
in bathing waters and human exposure estimates has found that surfers are more likely to
be colonized by drug-resistant bacteria than non-surfers hellip The study hellip aimed to estimate
the prevalence of Escherichia coli harboring the extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL)
gene blaCTX-M in waters along the UK coastline CTX-M genes represent nearly 80 of
ESBLs in clinical isolates and can encode resistance to multiple antibiotics Previous research
has indicated that ingesting seawater containing antibiotic-resistant E coli is associated with
gut colonization by these bacteria and that swimming is a risk factor for urinary tract
infections caused by ESBL-producing bacteria hellip While surfers colonised by potentially
7
pathogenic [antibiotic-resistant bacteria] may by asymptomatic gut bacteria are a major
source of infection and these bacteria may cause problems if colonised individuals develop
a health condition in the future that makes them more susceptible to infections the
authors write CIDRAP StewardshipResistance Scan (second item)
top of page
ZIKA VIRUS
Brazil study hints at dengue cross-protection in Zikas
wake
17 January - An outbreak of Zika virus in 2015 in Brazil may have provided some cross-
protection against dengue infection according to researchers who studied disease
surveillance data in a slum community of Salvador the countrys fourth-largest city
Before 2015 positive tests for dengue virus followed annual second- or third-quarter peaks
However they saw a much smaller peak in 2015 during the Zika outbreak with dengue
positive showing no peak in 2016 and 2017 The frequency of confirmed dengue in patients
with febrile illness fell from 25 before the Zika epidemic to 3 after the outbreak
However over the same period the percentage of patients who tested positive for
chikungunya virus infection increased significantly from 7 before the Zika epidemic to
20 after suggesting that the environmental conditions including mosquito populations
were still in place after the Zika epidemic CIDRAP News Scan (second item)
top of page
Brazilian studies highlight Zika microcephaly patterns
16 January - A new case-control study based in one of
Brazils Zika hot spots reaffirmed the link between Zika and
microcephaly and offered one of the first estimates of Zika-
linked microcephaly prevalence in areas experiencing an
outbreak The study also found that timing of exposure and
evidence of infection in infants were the only risk factors a
key finding given lingering questions about whether any other factors were involved in the
unusually high levels of birth defects in Brazils outbreak Also another group that looked at
microcephaly patterns in another of Brazils hard-hit Zika regions found that microcephaly
prevalence was higher in areas marked by poorer living conditions CIDRAP
top of page
Scientists find Zika virus in 3 mosquito species not
known to carry it
17 January - Zika virus was discovered in the salivary glands of five mosquito species caught
in the wild in Mexico including three previously unreported hellip Though Aedes aegypti and
8
Ae albopictus are the main vectors of the disease (and also transmit dengue chikungunya
and yellow fever) other species have been theorized to be able to carry the Zika virus as
well Mexican researchers looked at Ae aegypti and Ae vexans as well as Culex
quinquefasciatus Cx coronator and Cx tarsalis They collected 579 mosquitoes over 5
separate days from September to November 2016 in different parts of the Guadalajara
metropolitan area They were able to isolate in cell culture Zika virus from different body
partsmdashincluding the salivary glandsmdashof female mosquitoes representing all five species and
in whole male Ae aegypti and Cx quinquefasciatus mosquitoes
CIDRAP News Scan (third item)
top of page
Zika infection during pregnancy may disrupt fetal oxygen
supply 18 January - Zika virus infection appears to affect oxygen delivery to the fetuses of pregnant
monkeys according to a small study Researchers also observed a high degree of
inflammation in the placenta and lining of the uterus which can harm the fetal immune
system and increase a newborns susceptibility to additional infections hellip [Researchers] used
non-invasive imaging to evaluate how persistent Zika infection affects pregnancy in five
rhesus macaques The team found that the virus induces high levels of inflammation in the
blood vessels of the uterus and damages placental villi the branch-like growths that help
transfer oxygen and nutrients from maternal blood to the fetus The researchers suggest
that this damage may disrupt oxygen transport to the fetus which can restrict its growth
and lead to stillbirth among other conditions NIH
top of page
INFLUENZA
AFHSB DoD Seasonal Influenza Surveillance Summary For Week 1
NORTHCOM Influenza activity continued to increase with the majority of states
experiencing moderate to high activity
EUCOM Influenza activity in EUCOM increased and ranged from minimal to high
depending on the country
PACOM Influenza activity continued to increase throughout PACOM and was high
in Hawaii and the Republic of Korea
CENTCOM and AFRICOM Since week 48 TMDS data has not been sent to AFHSB
Therefore the CENTCOM map and figure are not presented as the data will be
incomplete
SOUTHCOM Since week 48 TMDS data has not been sent to AFHSB Therefore
SOUTHCOM data is incomplete and will not be provided
top of page
9
APHC US Army Influenza Activity Report
For the week ending 6 January 2018 (week 1)
In week 1 722 influenza A-positive specimens were reported by Army medical treatment
facilities which is a 45 increase from the 498 positive influenza A specimens reported in
week 52 This influenza season is on track to be one of the most active according to the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) To decrease the spread of flu ill Service
Members should be placed on quarters and the flu vaccine should be administered to
unvaccinated individuals Furthermore the CDC recommends taking antivirals within 48
hours of symptom onset to lessen the symptoms of the flu for those that do become ill
APHC
top of page
CDC Flu View - Weekly US Influenza Surveillance
Report
During week 1 (December 31 2017-January 6 2018) influenza activity increased in the
United States
Viral Surveillance The most frequently identified influenza virus subtype reported
by public health laboratories during week 1 was influenza A(H3) The percentage of
respiratory specimens testing positive for influenza in clinical laboratories remained
elevated
Pneumonia and Influenza Mortality The proportion of deaths attributed to
pneumonia and influenza (PampI) was at the system-specific epidemic threshold in the
National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) Mortality Surveillance System
Influenza-associated Pediatric Deaths Seven influenza-associated pediatric deaths
were reported CDC
top of page
ECDC Flu News Europe
Week 12018 (1ndash7 January 2018)
Influenza activity was increasing in countries in northern southern and western
Europe
Both influenza type A and B viruses were co-circulating and different patterns of
circulation were observed across countries in the Region
Of the individuals sampled on presenting with ILI or ARI to sentinel primary
healthcare sites 42 tested positive for influenza viruses similar to the 44 in the
previous week
EuroMOMO data showed excess mortality in the elderly (gt65 years of age) for the
United-Kingdom (Scotland) Spain and Portugal
European Center for Disease Prevention and ControlWHO
top of page
10
For CDC reducing flu spread takes priority over nuclear
attack preparedness
15 January - The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention changed the topic of a nuclear
strike preparedness session opting to focus on a widespread flu outbreak The Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention has postponed a planned Tuesday session on nuclear attack
preparedness deciding instead to focus the workshop on influenza The agency announced
the switch in topics late Friday citing the spike in flu cases as the reason for the pivot To
date this influenza season is notable for the sheer volume of flu that most of the United
States is seeing at the same time which can stress health systems according to a CDC
statement The vast majority of this activity has been caused by influenza A H3N2
associated with severe illness in young children and people 65 years and older NPR
top of page
NHRC Operational Infectious Diseases - Weekly
Surveillance Report
11 January - Febrile respiratory illness cases
Military Recruits - 24 positive of 33 tested
CDC Border Infectious Disease Surveillance and Zika Surveillance - 122 positive of
157 tested
DoD Beneficiaries ndash 12 positive of 21 tested Naval Health Research Center
top of page
lsquoSmart thermometersrsquo track flu season in real time
16 January ndash A company making ldquosmart thermometersrdquo that upload body temperatures to
its website claims to be tracking this yearrsquos flu season faster and in greater geographic detail
than public health authorities can This yearrsquos flu season mdash which the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention considers ldquomoderately severerdquo mdash has left Missouri and Iowa the
ldquosickest states in the countryrdquo said Inder Singh the founder of Kinsahealthcom California
has had its worst outbreak in five years with nearly 1 percent of the state exhibiting flu
symptoms on Jan 2 he added By contrast New York New England and the Southeast have
had relatively mild seasons so far but cases are rising and should peak in two weeks Mr
Singhrsquos data paints a different picture from that of the CDC which held a news conference
Friday to announce that flu activity was ldquowidespreadrdquo across the continental United States
which is unusual The New York Times
top of page
Study reveals more H1N1 deaths in those exposed to 57
pandemic
17 January - hellip [Researchers have] found more evidence that exposure to a pandemic strain
can make people more susceptible to the next pandemic strainmdashif the viruses are greatly
11
different from each other hellip For the 2009 H1N1 pandemic season the investigators found
peaks in death rates in people from [United States and Mexico] who were 52 years old
corresponding with a birth year of 1957 when the H2N2 Asian flu pandemic occurred The
team said the vulnerability that they and others have noted in subsequent pandemics marks
an unappreciated risk factor and has all the markings of a cohort effect showing the value
of studying flu deaths by individual birth year instead of very large age-groups The findings
suggest that increased pandemic deaths in people primed in early life by viruses that have
little to no antigenic overlap with new pandemic or seasonal viruses might result in
responses that increase the pathogenicity of the disease possibly compromising lung
function the group wrote CIDRAP
top of page
USAFSAM amp DHA DoD Global Laboratory-Based
Influenza Surveillance Program During 17 - 30 December 2017 (Surveillance Weeks 51 amp 52) a total of 434 specimens were
collected and received from 58 locations Results were finalized for 396 specimens from 57
locations During Week 51 there were 115 influenza viruses detected 88 influenza A(H3N2)
(including two coinfections) 11 influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 and 16 influenza B (including two
coinfections) During Week 51 the influenza percent positive was approximately 38
During Week 52 there were 44 influenza viruses detected 35 influenza A(H3N2) (including
two coinfections) two influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 (including one coinfection) and seven
influenza B viruses (including one coinfection) The influenza percent positive was
approximately 49 during Week 52 The influenza percent positive for the season is 17
US Air Force School of Aerospace Medicine amp Defense Health Agency
top of page
VETERINARYFOOD SAFETY
Dozens of brands of ice cream bars now on recall for
Listeria 14 January - A Listeria-related ice cream bar recall that started Jan 5 with less than 400
cases of frozen treats now includes additional flavors and brands totaling close to 29000
cases sent to more than 35 retail chains across the country No illnesses have been
confirmed in connection with the ice cream products However finished samples tested
positive for Listeria monocytogenes before the initial recall and more samples have tested
positive since then spurring Fieldbrook Foods Corp to broaden its recall hellip Officials are
concerned that consumers and entities along the food supply chain may still have the
recalled ice cream treats in their freezers hellip ldquoThere is no evidence of any contamination
prior to Oct 31 2017 but the company has issued the recall back to Jan 1 2017 through
an abundance of caution and in full cooperation with the FDA (Food and Drug
Administration)rdquo according to the recall notice posted on the FDA website
Food Safety News
top of page
12
French police search Lactalis sites after baby milk scare
17 January -French police were searching several sites belonging to dairy producer Lactalis
on Wednesday following a salmonella contamination scare that prompted a global recall of
several baby food products a source at the Paris prosecutorrsquos office said The scandal
deepened this month when it emerged some of the recalled baby foods had still made their
way onto shop shelves in a number of supermarket chains The Paris prosecutor opened a
preliminary probe into the salmonella contamination scare in late December Reuters
top of page
Fugu freakout Dont eat the blowfish Japanese officials
warn
16 January - Officials in the central Japanese city of Gamagori
are warning residents not to eat blowfish purchased from a
local supermarket after potentially deadly parts of the fish were
inadvertently sold The market sold five packages of fish
without removing their livers which can contain a potent
neurotoxin Three of the packages of fish have been recovered
by authorities but two others remain at large hellip Eating fugu liver can paralyze motor
nerves and in a serious case cause respiratory arrest leading to death regional officials
said in a warning statement Blowfish known in Japan as fugu is a highly prized delicacy
both as sashimi or as an ingredient in soup but the fishs liver ovaries and skin contain the
poison tetrodotoxin and the parts must be removed by specially trained and licensed
preparers There is no known antidote to the poison NPR
top of page
Multistate outbreak of Salmonella infections linked to
coconut tree brand frozen shredded coconut
16 January - CDC public health and regulatory officials in several states and the US Food
and Drug Administration (FDA) are investigating a multistate outbreak of Salmonella
infections hellip As of January 12 2018 25 people infected with the outbreak strains of
Salmonella I 4[5]12b- (24 people) or Salmonella Newport (1 person) have been reported
from 9 states One more ill person infected with the outbreak strain of Salmonella I
4[5]12b- has been reported from Canada hellip Illnesses started on dates ranging from May
11 2017 to November 4 2017 Ill people range in age from 1 year to 82 with a median age
of 19 Among ill people 19 (76) are male Six people (24) report being hospitalized No
deaths have been reported hellip The frozen shredded coconut linked to this outbreak was
used as an ingredient in Asian-style dessert drinks served at restaurants The product was
also sold in grocery stores and markets in several states Frozen shredded coconut can last
for several months if kept frozen and may still be in retail stores or in peoplersquos homes CDC
top of page
13
Pets Raw meat diets pose a risk to both animal and
human health
12 January - Experts are warning dog and cat owners to be
aware of the risks associated with feeding their pets raw meat-
based diets (RMBDs) instead of the more conventional dry or
canned pet foods hellip Of most concern however is the risk to
public or animal health due to contamination of RMBDs with
zoonotic bacteria and parasites that can pass between animals and humans hellip [A] team of
researchers based in The Netherlands say these diets may be contaminated with bacteria
and parasites and as such may pose a risk to both animal and human health hellip They
analysed 35 commercial frozen RMBDs from eight different brands widely available in The
Netherlands Escherichia coli O157 was isolated from eight products (23) Listeria species
were present in 15 products (43) and Salmonella species in seven products (20) Both E
coli O157 and Salmonella infections in humans have been linked with serious illnesses
Outbreak News Today
top of page
South Africa More Listeriosis cases and deaths Whatrsquos
being done
18 January - In just a matter of a few days the Listeriosis outbreak described as the ldquolargest
documented listeriosis outbreak South Africa has ever experiencedrdquo has grown by 19 cases
with a new outbreak total of 767 laboratory-confirmed listeriosis cases as of Jan 16 The
National Institute of Communicable Diseases (NICD) now puts the death toll at 81 hellip At
present the source of the outbreak is not known hellip The National Department of Health is hellip
interviewing all persons who have been diagnosed with Listeria to understand what food
they have eaten and identify trends Outbreak News Today
top of page
The parasite on the playground
16 January - Millions of American children have been
exposed to hellip parasites roundworms of the genus Toxocara
live in the intestines of cats and dogs especially strays
Microscopic eggs from Toxocara are shed in the animalsrsquo
feces contaminating yards playgrounds and sandboxes
These infectious particles cling to the hands of children
playing outside Once swallowed the eggs soon hatch releasing larvae that wriggle through
the body and evidence suggests may even reach the brain compromising learning and
cognition hellip The latest [CDC] report hellip estimated that about 5 percent of the United States
population mdash or about 16 million people mdash carry Toxocara antibodies in their blood a sign
they have ingested the eggs But the risk is not evenly shared Poor and minority
populations are more often exposed The rate among African Americans was almost 7
14
percent according to the CDC Among people living below the poverty line the infection
rate was 10 percent The New York Times
top of page
WELLNESS
Current cigarette smoking among adults mdash United States
2016
19 January - hellip The proportion of US adults who smoke cigarettes declined from 209 in
2005 (451 million smokers) to 155 in 2016 (378 million smokers) but cigarette smoking
prevalence did not change significantly during 2015ndash2016 Sociodemographic disparities in
cigarette smoking persist During 2005ndash2016 increases occurred in the proportion of adult
ever smokers who quit smoking (508 to 590) Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report
top of page
Cycling does not harm mens sexual health study says
12 January - Cycling does not negatively affect mens
sexual health or urinary function a study has found
Researchers compared cyclists with runners and
swimmers and found their sexual and urinary health was
comparable The findings contrasted with previous
studies that suggested cycling could negatively affect mens sexual function the studys
authors said They said the benefits to cycling far outweigh the risks hellip Sexual health and
urinary function were comparable in all three groups researchers said although some
cyclists were more prone to urethral strictures - a narrowing of the urethra hellip The cyclists
did have statistically significant higher odds of genital numbness the study found
BBC News
top of page
Obesity shaved almost a year off US life expectancy
study says
16 January - Rising obesity rates in the US may be responsible for as many as 186000
deaths per year according to a new analysis The US has seen only relatively modest
improvements in mortality rates over the past couple decades despite public health
victories including major reductions in smoking Death rates tied to cardiovascular disease
cancer and other chronic illnesses for example declined more slowly in the US than in any
of 13 similarly developed nations between 1999 and 2015 Researchers hellip thought rising
obesity rates might have something to do with it so they pored over two subsequent
editions of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Study (NHANES) and the
associated death records Increases in obesity according to the paper slowed gains in
15
mortality rates by 054 between 1988 and 2011 shaving an estimated 09 years off the
national life expectancy at age 40 and resulting in as many as 186000 additional deaths in
2011 alone Time
top of page
Researchers probe stomach surgeryrsquos lsquomiraclersquo secrets
17 January - Nima Saeidi an assistant professor of surgery at Harvard Medical School and
Massachusetts General Hospital and a member of the Center for Engineering in Medicine
had started down one career path when a lecture on Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery
redirected him The MGH lecture outlined not just the procedurersquos striking effectiveness for
weight loss hellip but also its promise against diabetes high blood pressure cholesterol and
fatty-food cravings hellip The idea of a compound that mimics the positives of Roux-en-Y is
particularly enticing amid twin national epidemics of obesity and diabetes The surgery
has been shown to affect insulin sensitivity and production of the hunger hormones ghrelin
and leptin It also alters the composition of a patientrsquos microbiome hellip Saeidi and colleagues
have turned to new rodent models spectroscopic instruments and novel informatics
techniques that shift inquiry from a traditional hypothesis-based step-by-step exploration
to one that seeks to reverse-engineer the problem by searching broadly for postoperative
chemical changes in the body and then working to understand them Harvard Gazette
top of page
Wal-Mart launches program to safely dispose of unused
opioids
17 January - The company said patients filling any new class II opioid prescriptions at its
pharmacies will receive a free packet of the product - called DisposeRx - when filling a new
prescription hellip People filling prescriptions at Samrsquos Club can also get DisposeRx at their
pharmacies In order to safely dispose of opioids patients would add warm water and the
DisposeRx powder to their pill bottle which then forms a biodegradable gel around the
pills Reuters
top of page
USAFRICOM
Democratic Republic of the Congo Five cases of vaccine-
derived polio detected in DRC
12 January - In an advance notification the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) said
there are five new cases of vaccine-derived polio from the Democratic Republic of the
Congo (DRC) hellip These are the first cases reported from the DRC in 2018 but illness onset
dates havent yet been recorded For 2017 there were 12 cases of circulating vaccine-
derived poliovirus type 2 (cVDPV2) in the DRC and 74 reported in Syria hellip In other polio
news Science published an article today describing the increasing number of polio
16
environmental samples found in Pakistan despite the dwindling number of human cases
The authors said the increasing samples could be sign that polio is on its last legs in that
country before eradication CIDRAP News Scan (fourth item)
top of page
Namibia Hepatitis E
15 January - During the week ending on 13 October 2017 the first identified case was
admitted to a public hospital in Windhoek district with signs and symptoms of hepatitis E
During the week ending on 8 January 2018 a total of 237 probable and confirmed cases
have been seen at various health facilities in Windhoek district with the same signs and
symptoms All suspected patients tested negative for hepatitis A B and C A total of 41 of
the 237 cases were sent for further testing and on 8 January 2018 the results showed 21
were IgM positive for hepatitis E WHO
top of page
Nigeria 3 die from Lassa fever in Ebonyi State
16 January - Four cases of Lassa fever were reported among health care workers in Ebonyi
State in southeastern Nigeria with three passing away from the lethal viral disease
the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) said The Honorable Minister of Health
Professor Isaac Adewole immediately requested that NCDC provides support to the
Government of Ebonyi State to investigate and respond to this cluster of cases
Outbreak News Today
top of page
South Africa Cape Town slashes water use amid drought
18 January - The South African city of Cape Town will slash residents water allowance to 50
litres a day from next month amid fears that it could become the worlds first major city to
run out of water The city had reached a point of no return Mayor Patricia de Lille said
Cape Town a popular tourist destination has been hit by its worst drought in a century Ms
De Lille warned that the city risked reaching Day Zero on 21 April when taps in homes
could run dry We can no longer ask people to stop wasting water We must force them
she said at a press conference Despite our urging for months 60 of Capetonians are
callously using more than 87 litres per day she added referring to the current daily limit A
person uses about 15 litres per minute for a typical shower and the same amount when
flushing a standard toilet according to WaterWise a South African water usage awareness
campaign BBC News
top of page
South Sudan Rift Valley fever suspected in South Sudan
VHF cluster 2 cases reported
16 January - Preliminary indications into South Sudans recent viral hemorrhagic fever
outbreak suggest that Rift Valley fever (RVF) may be the cause the World Health
17
Organization (WHO) Regional Office for Africa said in its latest outbreak and health
emergencies update The initial cluster included three patients from the same area of
Eastern Lakes state who had similar symptoms and died from their infections in December
hellip [T]wo more suspected human cases have been reported and involve an 18-year-old
pregnant woman who is a contact of a patient in the initial cluster and a 14-year-old girl
from a neighboring village who had no epidemiologic links to the original three cluster
patients State and national task forces have been activated The WHO said surveillance in
humans and animals needs to be strengthened in the area while efforts continue to confirm
the cause of the outbreak CIDRAP New Scan (first item)
top of page
Uganda Doctors in Uganda warn crisis level blood
shortage is putting lives at risk
16 January - Uganda is grappling with a critical shortage of blood that is affecting services
and putting patientsrsquo lives at risk The health ministryrsquos blood bank facility in the capital
Kampala which stores and distributes supplies to hospitals is practically empty It has just
150 units of blood remaining not enough to meet requirements on an average day in the
city Nationally Uganda needs at least 340000 units of safe blood annually but usually only
collects 200000 a year A six-day countrywide blood collection drive was launched by the
ministry on Monday The Uganda Medical Association an umbrella organisation of doctors
in public health facilities said the shortage was ldquoalmost [at] crisis levelrdquo resulting in the
cancellation of hospital operations and prioritisation of cases The Guardian
top of page
United Republic of Tanzania Cholera
12 January - From 15 August 2015 through 7 January 2018 33421 cases including 542
deaths (case fatality rate = 162) have been reported across all 26 regions of the United
Republic of Tanzania (Tanzania mainland and Zanzibar) Tanzania mainland has reported
86 of the total cases in this outbreak Children under five years old accounted for 114 of
cases Since the beginning of the outbreak over 7000 specimens have been tested for
cholera and 47 were positive for Vibrio cholerae by culture From 1 January 2017 through
31 December 4985 cases including 99 deaths have been reported in Tanzania Mainland
and Zanzibar The number of cases as well as geographical spread of cholera has markedly
reduced compared to the two previous years WHO
top of page
Zambia Zambia relaxes restrictions as cholera outbreak
slows
14 January - Zambia on Sunday relaxed rules imposed to curb the spread of cholera as the
number of new cases being reported has halved Health Minister Chitalu Chilufya said
Schools and some markets will be allowed to re-open Chilufya told a news conference in
Lusaka Police arrested 55 people in the capital on Friday after residents rioted over a curfew
18
and ban on street vending The outbreak has killed 74 people since Oct 4 including 68 in
Lusaka Chilufya said The number of new cases has fallen to around 80 from 164 a week
ago Of the more than 3200 cases reported in total more than 3000 have been in Lusaka
All government and private schools will re-open on Jan 22 but Zambiarsquos two largest public
universities will remain closed for now President Edgar Lungu last month directed the
military to clean markets and unblock drains to help to fight the spread of the waterborne
disease Reuters
top of page
USCENTCOM
Yemen UN hopes imports will help stave off famine in
Yemen as diphtheria spreads
16 January - United Nations aid agencies called on Tuesday for the Yemeni port of
Hodeidah to remain open beyond Friday the date set by a Saudi-led military coalition to
permit continued delivery of life-saving goods Yemen is the worldrsquos worst humanitarian
crisis where 83 million people are entirely dependent on external food aid and 400000
children suffer from severe acute malnutrition a potentially lethal condition they said hellip
More than 11 million Yemeni children - virtually all - need humanitarian assistance Relano
said UNICEF figures show 25000 Yemeni babies die at birth or before the age of one
month hellip A diphtheria outbreak in Yemen is ldquospreading quicklyrdquo with 678 cases and 48
associated deaths in four months Fadela Chaib of the World Health Organisation said
Reuters
top of page
USEUCOM
Ukraine Ukraine conflict has increased spread of HIV in
silent epidemic
16 January - The conflict in eastern Ukraine has increased the
spread of HIV throughout the country as people have been
uprooted by the violence a new study finds hellip Ukraine has
among the highest HIV rates in Europe with an estimated
220000 infected in a country of about 45 million hellip The study
says the HIV crisis in Ukraine has become a silent epidemic because half of HIV-infected
people are unaware they have the infection and around 40 percent of newly diagnosed
people are in the later stages of the disease hellip [A]n international team of scientists hellip
analyzed viral migration patterns in Ukraine from 2012 to 2015 They found a correlation
between the movement of 17 million people uprooted by the war and the spread of HIV
19
hellip The HIV epidemic has shifted from being associated with drug injections in the 1990s to
most new infections now being spread by sexual transmission the study found
Radio Free EuropeRadio Liberty
top of page
United Kingdom Britain appoints minister for loneliness
amid growing isolation
17 January - Britain has appointed a minister for loneliness to take forward the work of
murdered lawmaker Jo Cox and tackle the isolation felt by more than one in ten people in
the UK Sports minister Tracey Crouch will take on the new role [to] develop a strategy to
address the problem which research has linked with dementia early mortality and high
blood pressure hellip The majority of people over 75 live alone and about 200000 older people
in the UK have not had a conversation with a friend or relative in more than a month
according to government data Most doctors in Britain see between one and five patients a
day who have come mainly because they are lonely according to the Campaign to End
Loneliness Reuters
top of page
United Kingdom Measles outbreak spreading across
England warn health officials
16 January - Public health experts are urging parents to immunise their children against
measles as the potentially deadly bug has now spread to five regions in England With more
than 100 cases confirmed Public Health England warns that the UK could be on the verge
of an outbreak due to a rise in cases across Europe People who have recently visited
Romania Italy and Germany and have not been fully immunised against measles via the
MMR vaccine may be most at risk they said hellip However not all cases are being spread by
those who have visited countries included in the European outbreak a spokesperson for
Public Health England told The Independent We know that measles cases are showing a
link to importation from Europe where there are ongoing outbreaks but the cases are also
spreading within the UK in under-vaccinated communities they explained
The Independent
top of page
United Kingdom UK drugs regulator plays down Brexit
disruption threat
16 January - Britainrsquos drugs regulator said on Tuesday it would work to minimise disruption
caused by the country leaving the European Union as it tried to allay some of the worst
fears of pharmaceutical companies The highly regulated drugs industry is concerned about
Brexit fallout as the European Medicines Agency (EMA) relocates from London to
Amsterdam creating uncertainty about drug approvals after 2019 The Medicines and
Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) said in an update on its website that it
20
hoped to have a continuing relationship with the EMA after Brexit but if this did not happen
it would be ldquopragmaticrdquo in setting UK drug rules hellip The agency also noted that London and
Brussels agreed last month that ldquogoods placed on the market under Union law before the
withdrawal date may freely circulate on the markets of the UK and the Union with no need
for product modifications or re-labellingrdquo The Association of the British Pharmaceutical
Industry hellip warned that planning for a scenario where Britain had a separate regulatory
system required further detail Reuters
top of page
USNORTHCOM
US FDA expects IV fluid shortage to improve in coming
weeks months
16 January - The US Food and Drug Administration said on Tuesday it expects a shortage
of intravenous saline fluids for hospitals due to damage to key manufacturing facilities in
Puerto Rico to improve over the coming weeks and months FDA Commissioner Scott
Gottlieb said that the FDA has approved IV saline products from more companies which is
expected to boost US supply He said the tight supply of saline products had been
exacerbated by increased demand as a result of a worse-than-normal flu season At the
same time Gottlieb said the agency is concerned about a potential shortage of IV
containers as demand for empty IV containers increases as an alternative to filled bags
Reuters
top of page
US Mapping how the opioid epidemic sparked an HIV
outbreak
14 January - When people started to show up to Dr William Cookes primary care office in
Austin Ind in 2014 with HIV Cooke knew it was probably related to the regions opioid
epidemic But what he and the rest of the public health community didnt know was who
they were missing or how long the HIV outbreak had been going on Now theyve got a
clearer picture mdash literally In visualizations published in the Journal of Infectious Diseases
dots and lines define the constellations of Indianas HIV outbreak Using genetic
sequencing they show how long the outbreak had been going on connected people who
hadnt previously been linked by traditional methods and showed how the virus jumped
from a slowly spreading infection to a virus transmitted quickly via needle sharing and
other smaller sub-epidemics NPR
top of page
21
US More $$ needed for health emergencies senators
told 17 January - The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) needs more funding to
effectively prepare for public health emergencies an HHS official said at a Senate hearing
Wednesday We cant do more things with limited resources Robert Kadlec MD HHS
assistant secretary for preparedness and response told members of the Senate Health
Education Labor amp Pensions (HELP) Committee hellip We have a $33 trillion healthcare
system of which we invest $250 million for preparedness Its just a drop in the bucket
The hearing focused on the pending reauthorization of the Pandemic and All-Hazards
Preparedness Act (PAHPA) a 2006 law that established Kadlecs position at HHS and
implemented several programs aimed at getting the nation ready for emergencies such as
developing and acquiring drugs and vaccines to be used when needed MedPage Today
top of page
US National Academies report endorses lower BAC
higher alcohol taxes 18 January - Getting to Zero Alcohol-Impaired Driving Fatalities a new report from the
National Academies of Sciences Engineering and Medicine recommends reducing state
laws criminalizing alcohol-impaired driving from 008 to 005 percent blood alcohol
concentration (BAC) increasing alcohol taxes significantly and other actions to address the
persistent problem of alcohol-impaired driving deaths There are more than 10000 alcohol-
impaired driving fatalities annually in the United States and the report says stakeholders
that range from transportation systems to alcohol retailers to law enforcement should join
forces to implement policies and systems to eliminate these preventable deaths The
committee that conducted the study and wrote the report recommended a number of
actions lowering state laws on BAC raising alcohol taxes significantly strengthening policies
to prevent illegal alcohol sales to people under 21 and to already intoxicated adults
enacting all-offender ignition interlock laws and providing effective treatment for offenders
when needed Occupational Health and Safety
top of page
US NIH study shows steep increase in rate of alcohol-
related ER visits 12 January - The rate of alcohol-related visits to US emergency departments (ED) increased
by nearly 50 percent between 2006 and 2014 especially among females and drinkers who
are middle-aged or older according to a new study conducted by researchers at the
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) part of the National Institutes
of Health hellip These increases far outpaced changes in the number and rate of ED visits for
any cause during the years studied hellip Although men account for more alcohol-related ED
visits than women the rate of such visits increased more among females than males (53
percent versus 40 percent annually) over the study period NIH
top of page
22
US Number of Americans without health insurance
grows in Trumps first year new figures show 16 January - The number of Americans without health coverage which declined for years
after passage of the Affordable Care Act shot up in President Trumprsquos first year in office
according to data from a new national survey At the end of 2017 122 of US adults
lacked health insurance up from 109 at the end of 2016 as President Obama was
completing his final term The increase of 13 percentage points although modest marks
the first time since at least 2008 that the share of adults without insurance increased from
the previous year hellip The increase indicates that 32 million Americans lost health coverage
in 2017 Gallup concluded Los Angeles Times
top of page
US The Big Number 3500 infants die of sleep-related
issues 13 January - Thatrsquos the number of babies in the United States who die each year as the
result of a sleep-related issue according to a new report from the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention The causes vary but child health experts believe many of the
deaths would be preventable if more parents adhered to safe-sleep practices For instance
babies should be placed on their backs to sleep but the CDC found that 22 percent of
moms placed babies on their side or stomach Soft bedding mdash blankets pillows bumper
pads mdash should be kept out of the sleep area but 39 percent of moms said they used soft
bedding And itrsquos a good idea to share a room with an infant but not a bed with a baby Still
61 percent of moms told the CDC they had slept with their babies The Washington Post
top of page
US US faces oversupply of antibiotic-free chicken -
Sanderson Farms 16 January - Supplies of chicken raised without antibiotics are outstripping demand a major
US poultry producer said on Tuesday a sign of overproduction that could eat into
processorsrsquo profits Large chicken and restaurant companies including Tyson Foods Inc and
McDonaldrsquos Corp have raced to cut antibiotics from poultry supplies as public health
experts have warned about the link between use of the drugs in farms and the rise of drug-
resistant bacteria Antibiotic-free chickens made up an average of 405 percent of all fresh
US production for the first 10 months of 2017 Sanderson Farms Inc said in a regulatory
filing However only 64 percent of sales were for products sold as antibiotic-free (ABF)
according to Sanderson the third-largest US poultry producer Reuters
top of page
US US government to shield health workers under
religious freedom 18 January - The US government is seeking to further protect the ldquoconscience and religious
23
freedomrdquo of health workers whose beliefs prevent them from carrying out abortions and
other procedures in an effort likely to please conservative Christian activists and other
supporters of President Donald Trump The US Department of Health and Human Services
said on Thursday it will create a division within its Office of Civil Rights to give it ldquothe focus it
needs to more vigorously and effectively enforce existing laws protecting the rights of
conscience and religious freedomrdquo Healthcare workers hospitals with religious affiliations
and medical students among others have been ldquobulliedrdquo by the federal government to
provide these services despite existing laws on religious and conscience rights the top HHS
official said Reuters
top of page
USPACOM
Bangladesh Cold wave
12 January - Severe cold wave is sweeping over Bangladesh It was recorded the lowest in
Bangladeshrsquos history at 26 degrees yesterday in Tetulia Rangpur division hellip According to
the MET office the cold wave is likely to continue till January 14 and one or two more cold
waves are expected later this month hellip The cold wave has disrupted the lives of many in
northern Bangladesh Poor people particularly the farmers and rickshaw-pullers have been
affected badly Children and elderly people are the worst affected Twenty-seven (27)
persons have been reported dead ReliefWeb
top of page
Indonesia Indonesia sends military to help fight health
crisis in Papua
17 January - Indonesia is deploying military paramedics to carry food and vaccines to a
remote part of its easternmost province of Papua where reports say at least 61 infants died
from malnutrition and diseases such as measles hellip The situation in the remote Asmat
regency was an ldquoextraordinary incidentrdquo the health ministry said in a statement adding that
it was sending 39 health workers there The Indonesian military has sent 53 personnel
including paramedics besides medical equipment vaccines and 11100 packages of instant
food it added hellip ldquoThere is a link between the malnutrition and (catching) other diseasesrdquo
[Health Minister Nila] Moeloek added ldquoIf yoursquore undernourished you will get those
diseasesrdquo Reuters
top of page
Philippines Sanofi will reimburse Philippines
government for unused Dengvaxia
16 January - Yesterday Sanofi Pasteur the French pharmaceutical giant announced it will
reimburse the Philippines government for unused doses of Dengvaxia its controversial
24
dengue vaccine The announcement comes weeks after the company recommended the
vaccine not be used in people without prior dengue infections as it may prime dengue-
naive recipients for more severe infections More than 800000 Filipino children had already
received Dengvaxia when the recommendation was made Sanofi Pasteur has responded
positively to the Philippine Department of Healths (DoH) request that we provide
reimbursement for the doses of Dengvaxia that were not used by the government in the
public vaccination program the company said CIDRAP News Scan (third item)
top of page
USSOUTHCOM
Brazil WHO recommends yellow fever shot to Sao Paulo
visitors
16 January - The World Health Organization said on Tuesday that the whole of Sao Paulo
state which includes Brazilrsquos largest city Sao Paulo should be considered at risk for yellow
fever and recommended foreign travelers get vaccinated before visiting But Brazilrsquos Health
Ministry said the WHO recommendation coming just weeks before Carnival when tens of
thousands of tourists descend on Brazil would not cause it to change its advisory that only
travelers going to rural areas need to get vaccinated Deputy Health Minister Antonio Carlos
Nardi said Carnival celebrations in February were in urban areas and that visitors would not
be at risk if they stayed in cities Nardi said the number of cases had risen again this year
but that there was no outbreak of yellow fever in the country Reuters
top of page
25
US Military | Global | Influenza | VeterinaryFood Safety | Wellness | Contact Us
USAFRICOM | USCENTCOM | USEUCOM | USNORTHCOM | USPACOM | USSOUTHCOM
The Army Public Health Weekly Update does not analyze the information as to its strategic or tactical impact on the US Army and is not a medical
intelligence product Medical intelligence is available from the National Center for Medical Intelligence
External Links The appearance of external hyperlinks does not constitute endorsement by the US Army of this Web site or the information products
or services contained therein For other than authorized activities such as military exchanges and MWR sites the US Army does not exercise any
editorial control over the information you may find at these locations Such links are provided consistent with the stated purpose of this product
Although we avoid links to sites that may be blocked all sites may not be accessible from all locations While we verify the links at the time of
publication we cannot guarantee that they will be active in the future
Articles appearing in the Update do not necessarily represent US Army Medical Command opinionsviews policy or guidance and should not be
construed or interpreted as being endorsed by the US Army Medical Command
The Army Public Health Weekly Update is published by the Public Health Information Directorate Army Public Health Center
7
pathogenic [antibiotic-resistant bacteria] may by asymptomatic gut bacteria are a major
source of infection and these bacteria may cause problems if colonised individuals develop
a health condition in the future that makes them more susceptible to infections the
authors write CIDRAP StewardshipResistance Scan (second item)
top of page
ZIKA VIRUS
Brazil study hints at dengue cross-protection in Zikas
wake
17 January - An outbreak of Zika virus in 2015 in Brazil may have provided some cross-
protection against dengue infection according to researchers who studied disease
surveillance data in a slum community of Salvador the countrys fourth-largest city
Before 2015 positive tests for dengue virus followed annual second- or third-quarter peaks
However they saw a much smaller peak in 2015 during the Zika outbreak with dengue
positive showing no peak in 2016 and 2017 The frequency of confirmed dengue in patients
with febrile illness fell from 25 before the Zika epidemic to 3 after the outbreak
However over the same period the percentage of patients who tested positive for
chikungunya virus infection increased significantly from 7 before the Zika epidemic to
20 after suggesting that the environmental conditions including mosquito populations
were still in place after the Zika epidemic CIDRAP News Scan (second item)
top of page
Brazilian studies highlight Zika microcephaly patterns
16 January - A new case-control study based in one of
Brazils Zika hot spots reaffirmed the link between Zika and
microcephaly and offered one of the first estimates of Zika-
linked microcephaly prevalence in areas experiencing an
outbreak The study also found that timing of exposure and
evidence of infection in infants were the only risk factors a
key finding given lingering questions about whether any other factors were involved in the
unusually high levels of birth defects in Brazils outbreak Also another group that looked at
microcephaly patterns in another of Brazils hard-hit Zika regions found that microcephaly
prevalence was higher in areas marked by poorer living conditions CIDRAP
top of page
Scientists find Zika virus in 3 mosquito species not
known to carry it
17 January - Zika virus was discovered in the salivary glands of five mosquito species caught
in the wild in Mexico including three previously unreported hellip Though Aedes aegypti and
8
Ae albopictus are the main vectors of the disease (and also transmit dengue chikungunya
and yellow fever) other species have been theorized to be able to carry the Zika virus as
well Mexican researchers looked at Ae aegypti and Ae vexans as well as Culex
quinquefasciatus Cx coronator and Cx tarsalis They collected 579 mosquitoes over 5
separate days from September to November 2016 in different parts of the Guadalajara
metropolitan area They were able to isolate in cell culture Zika virus from different body
partsmdashincluding the salivary glandsmdashof female mosquitoes representing all five species and
in whole male Ae aegypti and Cx quinquefasciatus mosquitoes
CIDRAP News Scan (third item)
top of page
Zika infection during pregnancy may disrupt fetal oxygen
supply 18 January - Zika virus infection appears to affect oxygen delivery to the fetuses of pregnant
monkeys according to a small study Researchers also observed a high degree of
inflammation in the placenta and lining of the uterus which can harm the fetal immune
system and increase a newborns susceptibility to additional infections hellip [Researchers] used
non-invasive imaging to evaluate how persistent Zika infection affects pregnancy in five
rhesus macaques The team found that the virus induces high levels of inflammation in the
blood vessels of the uterus and damages placental villi the branch-like growths that help
transfer oxygen and nutrients from maternal blood to the fetus The researchers suggest
that this damage may disrupt oxygen transport to the fetus which can restrict its growth
and lead to stillbirth among other conditions NIH
top of page
INFLUENZA
AFHSB DoD Seasonal Influenza Surveillance Summary For Week 1
NORTHCOM Influenza activity continued to increase with the majority of states
experiencing moderate to high activity
EUCOM Influenza activity in EUCOM increased and ranged from minimal to high
depending on the country
PACOM Influenza activity continued to increase throughout PACOM and was high
in Hawaii and the Republic of Korea
CENTCOM and AFRICOM Since week 48 TMDS data has not been sent to AFHSB
Therefore the CENTCOM map and figure are not presented as the data will be
incomplete
SOUTHCOM Since week 48 TMDS data has not been sent to AFHSB Therefore
SOUTHCOM data is incomplete and will not be provided
top of page
9
APHC US Army Influenza Activity Report
For the week ending 6 January 2018 (week 1)
In week 1 722 influenza A-positive specimens were reported by Army medical treatment
facilities which is a 45 increase from the 498 positive influenza A specimens reported in
week 52 This influenza season is on track to be one of the most active according to the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) To decrease the spread of flu ill Service
Members should be placed on quarters and the flu vaccine should be administered to
unvaccinated individuals Furthermore the CDC recommends taking antivirals within 48
hours of symptom onset to lessen the symptoms of the flu for those that do become ill
APHC
top of page
CDC Flu View - Weekly US Influenza Surveillance
Report
During week 1 (December 31 2017-January 6 2018) influenza activity increased in the
United States
Viral Surveillance The most frequently identified influenza virus subtype reported
by public health laboratories during week 1 was influenza A(H3) The percentage of
respiratory specimens testing positive for influenza in clinical laboratories remained
elevated
Pneumonia and Influenza Mortality The proportion of deaths attributed to
pneumonia and influenza (PampI) was at the system-specific epidemic threshold in the
National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) Mortality Surveillance System
Influenza-associated Pediatric Deaths Seven influenza-associated pediatric deaths
were reported CDC
top of page
ECDC Flu News Europe
Week 12018 (1ndash7 January 2018)
Influenza activity was increasing in countries in northern southern and western
Europe
Both influenza type A and B viruses were co-circulating and different patterns of
circulation were observed across countries in the Region
Of the individuals sampled on presenting with ILI or ARI to sentinel primary
healthcare sites 42 tested positive for influenza viruses similar to the 44 in the
previous week
EuroMOMO data showed excess mortality in the elderly (gt65 years of age) for the
United-Kingdom (Scotland) Spain and Portugal
European Center for Disease Prevention and ControlWHO
top of page
10
For CDC reducing flu spread takes priority over nuclear
attack preparedness
15 January - The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention changed the topic of a nuclear
strike preparedness session opting to focus on a widespread flu outbreak The Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention has postponed a planned Tuesday session on nuclear attack
preparedness deciding instead to focus the workshop on influenza The agency announced
the switch in topics late Friday citing the spike in flu cases as the reason for the pivot To
date this influenza season is notable for the sheer volume of flu that most of the United
States is seeing at the same time which can stress health systems according to a CDC
statement The vast majority of this activity has been caused by influenza A H3N2
associated with severe illness in young children and people 65 years and older NPR
top of page
NHRC Operational Infectious Diseases - Weekly
Surveillance Report
11 January - Febrile respiratory illness cases
Military Recruits - 24 positive of 33 tested
CDC Border Infectious Disease Surveillance and Zika Surveillance - 122 positive of
157 tested
DoD Beneficiaries ndash 12 positive of 21 tested Naval Health Research Center
top of page
lsquoSmart thermometersrsquo track flu season in real time
16 January ndash A company making ldquosmart thermometersrdquo that upload body temperatures to
its website claims to be tracking this yearrsquos flu season faster and in greater geographic detail
than public health authorities can This yearrsquos flu season mdash which the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention considers ldquomoderately severerdquo mdash has left Missouri and Iowa the
ldquosickest states in the countryrdquo said Inder Singh the founder of Kinsahealthcom California
has had its worst outbreak in five years with nearly 1 percent of the state exhibiting flu
symptoms on Jan 2 he added By contrast New York New England and the Southeast have
had relatively mild seasons so far but cases are rising and should peak in two weeks Mr
Singhrsquos data paints a different picture from that of the CDC which held a news conference
Friday to announce that flu activity was ldquowidespreadrdquo across the continental United States
which is unusual The New York Times
top of page
Study reveals more H1N1 deaths in those exposed to 57
pandemic
17 January - hellip [Researchers have] found more evidence that exposure to a pandemic strain
can make people more susceptible to the next pandemic strainmdashif the viruses are greatly
11
different from each other hellip For the 2009 H1N1 pandemic season the investigators found
peaks in death rates in people from [United States and Mexico] who were 52 years old
corresponding with a birth year of 1957 when the H2N2 Asian flu pandemic occurred The
team said the vulnerability that they and others have noted in subsequent pandemics marks
an unappreciated risk factor and has all the markings of a cohort effect showing the value
of studying flu deaths by individual birth year instead of very large age-groups The findings
suggest that increased pandemic deaths in people primed in early life by viruses that have
little to no antigenic overlap with new pandemic or seasonal viruses might result in
responses that increase the pathogenicity of the disease possibly compromising lung
function the group wrote CIDRAP
top of page
USAFSAM amp DHA DoD Global Laboratory-Based
Influenza Surveillance Program During 17 - 30 December 2017 (Surveillance Weeks 51 amp 52) a total of 434 specimens were
collected and received from 58 locations Results were finalized for 396 specimens from 57
locations During Week 51 there were 115 influenza viruses detected 88 influenza A(H3N2)
(including two coinfections) 11 influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 and 16 influenza B (including two
coinfections) During Week 51 the influenza percent positive was approximately 38
During Week 52 there were 44 influenza viruses detected 35 influenza A(H3N2) (including
two coinfections) two influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 (including one coinfection) and seven
influenza B viruses (including one coinfection) The influenza percent positive was
approximately 49 during Week 52 The influenza percent positive for the season is 17
US Air Force School of Aerospace Medicine amp Defense Health Agency
top of page
VETERINARYFOOD SAFETY
Dozens of brands of ice cream bars now on recall for
Listeria 14 January - A Listeria-related ice cream bar recall that started Jan 5 with less than 400
cases of frozen treats now includes additional flavors and brands totaling close to 29000
cases sent to more than 35 retail chains across the country No illnesses have been
confirmed in connection with the ice cream products However finished samples tested
positive for Listeria monocytogenes before the initial recall and more samples have tested
positive since then spurring Fieldbrook Foods Corp to broaden its recall hellip Officials are
concerned that consumers and entities along the food supply chain may still have the
recalled ice cream treats in their freezers hellip ldquoThere is no evidence of any contamination
prior to Oct 31 2017 but the company has issued the recall back to Jan 1 2017 through
an abundance of caution and in full cooperation with the FDA (Food and Drug
Administration)rdquo according to the recall notice posted on the FDA website
Food Safety News
top of page
12
French police search Lactalis sites after baby milk scare
17 January -French police were searching several sites belonging to dairy producer Lactalis
on Wednesday following a salmonella contamination scare that prompted a global recall of
several baby food products a source at the Paris prosecutorrsquos office said The scandal
deepened this month when it emerged some of the recalled baby foods had still made their
way onto shop shelves in a number of supermarket chains The Paris prosecutor opened a
preliminary probe into the salmonella contamination scare in late December Reuters
top of page
Fugu freakout Dont eat the blowfish Japanese officials
warn
16 January - Officials in the central Japanese city of Gamagori
are warning residents not to eat blowfish purchased from a
local supermarket after potentially deadly parts of the fish were
inadvertently sold The market sold five packages of fish
without removing their livers which can contain a potent
neurotoxin Three of the packages of fish have been recovered
by authorities but two others remain at large hellip Eating fugu liver can paralyze motor
nerves and in a serious case cause respiratory arrest leading to death regional officials
said in a warning statement Blowfish known in Japan as fugu is a highly prized delicacy
both as sashimi or as an ingredient in soup but the fishs liver ovaries and skin contain the
poison tetrodotoxin and the parts must be removed by specially trained and licensed
preparers There is no known antidote to the poison NPR
top of page
Multistate outbreak of Salmonella infections linked to
coconut tree brand frozen shredded coconut
16 January - CDC public health and regulatory officials in several states and the US Food
and Drug Administration (FDA) are investigating a multistate outbreak of Salmonella
infections hellip As of January 12 2018 25 people infected with the outbreak strains of
Salmonella I 4[5]12b- (24 people) or Salmonella Newport (1 person) have been reported
from 9 states One more ill person infected with the outbreak strain of Salmonella I
4[5]12b- has been reported from Canada hellip Illnesses started on dates ranging from May
11 2017 to November 4 2017 Ill people range in age from 1 year to 82 with a median age
of 19 Among ill people 19 (76) are male Six people (24) report being hospitalized No
deaths have been reported hellip The frozen shredded coconut linked to this outbreak was
used as an ingredient in Asian-style dessert drinks served at restaurants The product was
also sold in grocery stores and markets in several states Frozen shredded coconut can last
for several months if kept frozen and may still be in retail stores or in peoplersquos homes CDC
top of page
13
Pets Raw meat diets pose a risk to both animal and
human health
12 January - Experts are warning dog and cat owners to be
aware of the risks associated with feeding their pets raw meat-
based diets (RMBDs) instead of the more conventional dry or
canned pet foods hellip Of most concern however is the risk to
public or animal health due to contamination of RMBDs with
zoonotic bacteria and parasites that can pass between animals and humans hellip [A] team of
researchers based in The Netherlands say these diets may be contaminated with bacteria
and parasites and as such may pose a risk to both animal and human health hellip They
analysed 35 commercial frozen RMBDs from eight different brands widely available in The
Netherlands Escherichia coli O157 was isolated from eight products (23) Listeria species
were present in 15 products (43) and Salmonella species in seven products (20) Both E
coli O157 and Salmonella infections in humans have been linked with serious illnesses
Outbreak News Today
top of page
South Africa More Listeriosis cases and deaths Whatrsquos
being done
18 January - In just a matter of a few days the Listeriosis outbreak described as the ldquolargest
documented listeriosis outbreak South Africa has ever experiencedrdquo has grown by 19 cases
with a new outbreak total of 767 laboratory-confirmed listeriosis cases as of Jan 16 The
National Institute of Communicable Diseases (NICD) now puts the death toll at 81 hellip At
present the source of the outbreak is not known hellip The National Department of Health is hellip
interviewing all persons who have been diagnosed with Listeria to understand what food
they have eaten and identify trends Outbreak News Today
top of page
The parasite on the playground
16 January - Millions of American children have been
exposed to hellip parasites roundworms of the genus Toxocara
live in the intestines of cats and dogs especially strays
Microscopic eggs from Toxocara are shed in the animalsrsquo
feces contaminating yards playgrounds and sandboxes
These infectious particles cling to the hands of children
playing outside Once swallowed the eggs soon hatch releasing larvae that wriggle through
the body and evidence suggests may even reach the brain compromising learning and
cognition hellip The latest [CDC] report hellip estimated that about 5 percent of the United States
population mdash or about 16 million people mdash carry Toxocara antibodies in their blood a sign
they have ingested the eggs But the risk is not evenly shared Poor and minority
populations are more often exposed The rate among African Americans was almost 7
14
percent according to the CDC Among people living below the poverty line the infection
rate was 10 percent The New York Times
top of page
WELLNESS
Current cigarette smoking among adults mdash United States
2016
19 January - hellip The proportion of US adults who smoke cigarettes declined from 209 in
2005 (451 million smokers) to 155 in 2016 (378 million smokers) but cigarette smoking
prevalence did not change significantly during 2015ndash2016 Sociodemographic disparities in
cigarette smoking persist During 2005ndash2016 increases occurred in the proportion of adult
ever smokers who quit smoking (508 to 590) Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report
top of page
Cycling does not harm mens sexual health study says
12 January - Cycling does not negatively affect mens
sexual health or urinary function a study has found
Researchers compared cyclists with runners and
swimmers and found their sexual and urinary health was
comparable The findings contrasted with previous
studies that suggested cycling could negatively affect mens sexual function the studys
authors said They said the benefits to cycling far outweigh the risks hellip Sexual health and
urinary function were comparable in all three groups researchers said although some
cyclists were more prone to urethral strictures - a narrowing of the urethra hellip The cyclists
did have statistically significant higher odds of genital numbness the study found
BBC News
top of page
Obesity shaved almost a year off US life expectancy
study says
16 January - Rising obesity rates in the US may be responsible for as many as 186000
deaths per year according to a new analysis The US has seen only relatively modest
improvements in mortality rates over the past couple decades despite public health
victories including major reductions in smoking Death rates tied to cardiovascular disease
cancer and other chronic illnesses for example declined more slowly in the US than in any
of 13 similarly developed nations between 1999 and 2015 Researchers hellip thought rising
obesity rates might have something to do with it so they pored over two subsequent
editions of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Study (NHANES) and the
associated death records Increases in obesity according to the paper slowed gains in
15
mortality rates by 054 between 1988 and 2011 shaving an estimated 09 years off the
national life expectancy at age 40 and resulting in as many as 186000 additional deaths in
2011 alone Time
top of page
Researchers probe stomach surgeryrsquos lsquomiraclersquo secrets
17 January - Nima Saeidi an assistant professor of surgery at Harvard Medical School and
Massachusetts General Hospital and a member of the Center for Engineering in Medicine
had started down one career path when a lecture on Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery
redirected him The MGH lecture outlined not just the procedurersquos striking effectiveness for
weight loss hellip but also its promise against diabetes high blood pressure cholesterol and
fatty-food cravings hellip The idea of a compound that mimics the positives of Roux-en-Y is
particularly enticing amid twin national epidemics of obesity and diabetes The surgery
has been shown to affect insulin sensitivity and production of the hunger hormones ghrelin
and leptin It also alters the composition of a patientrsquos microbiome hellip Saeidi and colleagues
have turned to new rodent models spectroscopic instruments and novel informatics
techniques that shift inquiry from a traditional hypothesis-based step-by-step exploration
to one that seeks to reverse-engineer the problem by searching broadly for postoperative
chemical changes in the body and then working to understand them Harvard Gazette
top of page
Wal-Mart launches program to safely dispose of unused
opioids
17 January - The company said patients filling any new class II opioid prescriptions at its
pharmacies will receive a free packet of the product - called DisposeRx - when filling a new
prescription hellip People filling prescriptions at Samrsquos Club can also get DisposeRx at their
pharmacies In order to safely dispose of opioids patients would add warm water and the
DisposeRx powder to their pill bottle which then forms a biodegradable gel around the
pills Reuters
top of page
USAFRICOM
Democratic Republic of the Congo Five cases of vaccine-
derived polio detected in DRC
12 January - In an advance notification the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) said
there are five new cases of vaccine-derived polio from the Democratic Republic of the
Congo (DRC) hellip These are the first cases reported from the DRC in 2018 but illness onset
dates havent yet been recorded For 2017 there were 12 cases of circulating vaccine-
derived poliovirus type 2 (cVDPV2) in the DRC and 74 reported in Syria hellip In other polio
news Science published an article today describing the increasing number of polio
16
environmental samples found in Pakistan despite the dwindling number of human cases
The authors said the increasing samples could be sign that polio is on its last legs in that
country before eradication CIDRAP News Scan (fourth item)
top of page
Namibia Hepatitis E
15 January - During the week ending on 13 October 2017 the first identified case was
admitted to a public hospital in Windhoek district with signs and symptoms of hepatitis E
During the week ending on 8 January 2018 a total of 237 probable and confirmed cases
have been seen at various health facilities in Windhoek district with the same signs and
symptoms All suspected patients tested negative for hepatitis A B and C A total of 41 of
the 237 cases were sent for further testing and on 8 January 2018 the results showed 21
were IgM positive for hepatitis E WHO
top of page
Nigeria 3 die from Lassa fever in Ebonyi State
16 January - Four cases of Lassa fever were reported among health care workers in Ebonyi
State in southeastern Nigeria with three passing away from the lethal viral disease
the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) said The Honorable Minister of Health
Professor Isaac Adewole immediately requested that NCDC provides support to the
Government of Ebonyi State to investigate and respond to this cluster of cases
Outbreak News Today
top of page
South Africa Cape Town slashes water use amid drought
18 January - The South African city of Cape Town will slash residents water allowance to 50
litres a day from next month amid fears that it could become the worlds first major city to
run out of water The city had reached a point of no return Mayor Patricia de Lille said
Cape Town a popular tourist destination has been hit by its worst drought in a century Ms
De Lille warned that the city risked reaching Day Zero on 21 April when taps in homes
could run dry We can no longer ask people to stop wasting water We must force them
she said at a press conference Despite our urging for months 60 of Capetonians are
callously using more than 87 litres per day she added referring to the current daily limit A
person uses about 15 litres per minute for a typical shower and the same amount when
flushing a standard toilet according to WaterWise a South African water usage awareness
campaign BBC News
top of page
South Sudan Rift Valley fever suspected in South Sudan
VHF cluster 2 cases reported
16 January - Preliminary indications into South Sudans recent viral hemorrhagic fever
outbreak suggest that Rift Valley fever (RVF) may be the cause the World Health
17
Organization (WHO) Regional Office for Africa said in its latest outbreak and health
emergencies update The initial cluster included three patients from the same area of
Eastern Lakes state who had similar symptoms and died from their infections in December
hellip [T]wo more suspected human cases have been reported and involve an 18-year-old
pregnant woman who is a contact of a patient in the initial cluster and a 14-year-old girl
from a neighboring village who had no epidemiologic links to the original three cluster
patients State and national task forces have been activated The WHO said surveillance in
humans and animals needs to be strengthened in the area while efforts continue to confirm
the cause of the outbreak CIDRAP New Scan (first item)
top of page
Uganda Doctors in Uganda warn crisis level blood
shortage is putting lives at risk
16 January - Uganda is grappling with a critical shortage of blood that is affecting services
and putting patientsrsquo lives at risk The health ministryrsquos blood bank facility in the capital
Kampala which stores and distributes supplies to hospitals is practically empty It has just
150 units of blood remaining not enough to meet requirements on an average day in the
city Nationally Uganda needs at least 340000 units of safe blood annually but usually only
collects 200000 a year A six-day countrywide blood collection drive was launched by the
ministry on Monday The Uganda Medical Association an umbrella organisation of doctors
in public health facilities said the shortage was ldquoalmost [at] crisis levelrdquo resulting in the
cancellation of hospital operations and prioritisation of cases The Guardian
top of page
United Republic of Tanzania Cholera
12 January - From 15 August 2015 through 7 January 2018 33421 cases including 542
deaths (case fatality rate = 162) have been reported across all 26 regions of the United
Republic of Tanzania (Tanzania mainland and Zanzibar) Tanzania mainland has reported
86 of the total cases in this outbreak Children under five years old accounted for 114 of
cases Since the beginning of the outbreak over 7000 specimens have been tested for
cholera and 47 were positive for Vibrio cholerae by culture From 1 January 2017 through
31 December 4985 cases including 99 deaths have been reported in Tanzania Mainland
and Zanzibar The number of cases as well as geographical spread of cholera has markedly
reduced compared to the two previous years WHO
top of page
Zambia Zambia relaxes restrictions as cholera outbreak
slows
14 January - Zambia on Sunday relaxed rules imposed to curb the spread of cholera as the
number of new cases being reported has halved Health Minister Chitalu Chilufya said
Schools and some markets will be allowed to re-open Chilufya told a news conference in
Lusaka Police arrested 55 people in the capital on Friday after residents rioted over a curfew
18
and ban on street vending The outbreak has killed 74 people since Oct 4 including 68 in
Lusaka Chilufya said The number of new cases has fallen to around 80 from 164 a week
ago Of the more than 3200 cases reported in total more than 3000 have been in Lusaka
All government and private schools will re-open on Jan 22 but Zambiarsquos two largest public
universities will remain closed for now President Edgar Lungu last month directed the
military to clean markets and unblock drains to help to fight the spread of the waterborne
disease Reuters
top of page
USCENTCOM
Yemen UN hopes imports will help stave off famine in
Yemen as diphtheria spreads
16 January - United Nations aid agencies called on Tuesday for the Yemeni port of
Hodeidah to remain open beyond Friday the date set by a Saudi-led military coalition to
permit continued delivery of life-saving goods Yemen is the worldrsquos worst humanitarian
crisis where 83 million people are entirely dependent on external food aid and 400000
children suffer from severe acute malnutrition a potentially lethal condition they said hellip
More than 11 million Yemeni children - virtually all - need humanitarian assistance Relano
said UNICEF figures show 25000 Yemeni babies die at birth or before the age of one
month hellip A diphtheria outbreak in Yemen is ldquospreading quicklyrdquo with 678 cases and 48
associated deaths in four months Fadela Chaib of the World Health Organisation said
Reuters
top of page
USEUCOM
Ukraine Ukraine conflict has increased spread of HIV in
silent epidemic
16 January - The conflict in eastern Ukraine has increased the
spread of HIV throughout the country as people have been
uprooted by the violence a new study finds hellip Ukraine has
among the highest HIV rates in Europe with an estimated
220000 infected in a country of about 45 million hellip The study
says the HIV crisis in Ukraine has become a silent epidemic because half of HIV-infected
people are unaware they have the infection and around 40 percent of newly diagnosed
people are in the later stages of the disease hellip [A]n international team of scientists hellip
analyzed viral migration patterns in Ukraine from 2012 to 2015 They found a correlation
between the movement of 17 million people uprooted by the war and the spread of HIV
19
hellip The HIV epidemic has shifted from being associated with drug injections in the 1990s to
most new infections now being spread by sexual transmission the study found
Radio Free EuropeRadio Liberty
top of page
United Kingdom Britain appoints minister for loneliness
amid growing isolation
17 January - Britain has appointed a minister for loneliness to take forward the work of
murdered lawmaker Jo Cox and tackle the isolation felt by more than one in ten people in
the UK Sports minister Tracey Crouch will take on the new role [to] develop a strategy to
address the problem which research has linked with dementia early mortality and high
blood pressure hellip The majority of people over 75 live alone and about 200000 older people
in the UK have not had a conversation with a friend or relative in more than a month
according to government data Most doctors in Britain see between one and five patients a
day who have come mainly because they are lonely according to the Campaign to End
Loneliness Reuters
top of page
United Kingdom Measles outbreak spreading across
England warn health officials
16 January - Public health experts are urging parents to immunise their children against
measles as the potentially deadly bug has now spread to five regions in England With more
than 100 cases confirmed Public Health England warns that the UK could be on the verge
of an outbreak due to a rise in cases across Europe People who have recently visited
Romania Italy and Germany and have not been fully immunised against measles via the
MMR vaccine may be most at risk they said hellip However not all cases are being spread by
those who have visited countries included in the European outbreak a spokesperson for
Public Health England told The Independent We know that measles cases are showing a
link to importation from Europe where there are ongoing outbreaks but the cases are also
spreading within the UK in under-vaccinated communities they explained
The Independent
top of page
United Kingdom UK drugs regulator plays down Brexit
disruption threat
16 January - Britainrsquos drugs regulator said on Tuesday it would work to minimise disruption
caused by the country leaving the European Union as it tried to allay some of the worst
fears of pharmaceutical companies The highly regulated drugs industry is concerned about
Brexit fallout as the European Medicines Agency (EMA) relocates from London to
Amsterdam creating uncertainty about drug approvals after 2019 The Medicines and
Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) said in an update on its website that it
20
hoped to have a continuing relationship with the EMA after Brexit but if this did not happen
it would be ldquopragmaticrdquo in setting UK drug rules hellip The agency also noted that London and
Brussels agreed last month that ldquogoods placed on the market under Union law before the
withdrawal date may freely circulate on the markets of the UK and the Union with no need
for product modifications or re-labellingrdquo The Association of the British Pharmaceutical
Industry hellip warned that planning for a scenario where Britain had a separate regulatory
system required further detail Reuters
top of page
USNORTHCOM
US FDA expects IV fluid shortage to improve in coming
weeks months
16 January - The US Food and Drug Administration said on Tuesday it expects a shortage
of intravenous saline fluids for hospitals due to damage to key manufacturing facilities in
Puerto Rico to improve over the coming weeks and months FDA Commissioner Scott
Gottlieb said that the FDA has approved IV saline products from more companies which is
expected to boost US supply He said the tight supply of saline products had been
exacerbated by increased demand as a result of a worse-than-normal flu season At the
same time Gottlieb said the agency is concerned about a potential shortage of IV
containers as demand for empty IV containers increases as an alternative to filled bags
Reuters
top of page
US Mapping how the opioid epidemic sparked an HIV
outbreak
14 January - When people started to show up to Dr William Cookes primary care office in
Austin Ind in 2014 with HIV Cooke knew it was probably related to the regions opioid
epidemic But what he and the rest of the public health community didnt know was who
they were missing or how long the HIV outbreak had been going on Now theyve got a
clearer picture mdash literally In visualizations published in the Journal of Infectious Diseases
dots and lines define the constellations of Indianas HIV outbreak Using genetic
sequencing they show how long the outbreak had been going on connected people who
hadnt previously been linked by traditional methods and showed how the virus jumped
from a slowly spreading infection to a virus transmitted quickly via needle sharing and
other smaller sub-epidemics NPR
top of page
21
US More $$ needed for health emergencies senators
told 17 January - The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) needs more funding to
effectively prepare for public health emergencies an HHS official said at a Senate hearing
Wednesday We cant do more things with limited resources Robert Kadlec MD HHS
assistant secretary for preparedness and response told members of the Senate Health
Education Labor amp Pensions (HELP) Committee hellip We have a $33 trillion healthcare
system of which we invest $250 million for preparedness Its just a drop in the bucket
The hearing focused on the pending reauthorization of the Pandemic and All-Hazards
Preparedness Act (PAHPA) a 2006 law that established Kadlecs position at HHS and
implemented several programs aimed at getting the nation ready for emergencies such as
developing and acquiring drugs and vaccines to be used when needed MedPage Today
top of page
US National Academies report endorses lower BAC
higher alcohol taxes 18 January - Getting to Zero Alcohol-Impaired Driving Fatalities a new report from the
National Academies of Sciences Engineering and Medicine recommends reducing state
laws criminalizing alcohol-impaired driving from 008 to 005 percent blood alcohol
concentration (BAC) increasing alcohol taxes significantly and other actions to address the
persistent problem of alcohol-impaired driving deaths There are more than 10000 alcohol-
impaired driving fatalities annually in the United States and the report says stakeholders
that range from transportation systems to alcohol retailers to law enforcement should join
forces to implement policies and systems to eliminate these preventable deaths The
committee that conducted the study and wrote the report recommended a number of
actions lowering state laws on BAC raising alcohol taxes significantly strengthening policies
to prevent illegal alcohol sales to people under 21 and to already intoxicated adults
enacting all-offender ignition interlock laws and providing effective treatment for offenders
when needed Occupational Health and Safety
top of page
US NIH study shows steep increase in rate of alcohol-
related ER visits 12 January - The rate of alcohol-related visits to US emergency departments (ED) increased
by nearly 50 percent between 2006 and 2014 especially among females and drinkers who
are middle-aged or older according to a new study conducted by researchers at the
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) part of the National Institutes
of Health hellip These increases far outpaced changes in the number and rate of ED visits for
any cause during the years studied hellip Although men account for more alcohol-related ED
visits than women the rate of such visits increased more among females than males (53
percent versus 40 percent annually) over the study period NIH
top of page
22
US Number of Americans without health insurance
grows in Trumps first year new figures show 16 January - The number of Americans without health coverage which declined for years
after passage of the Affordable Care Act shot up in President Trumprsquos first year in office
according to data from a new national survey At the end of 2017 122 of US adults
lacked health insurance up from 109 at the end of 2016 as President Obama was
completing his final term The increase of 13 percentage points although modest marks
the first time since at least 2008 that the share of adults without insurance increased from
the previous year hellip The increase indicates that 32 million Americans lost health coverage
in 2017 Gallup concluded Los Angeles Times
top of page
US The Big Number 3500 infants die of sleep-related
issues 13 January - Thatrsquos the number of babies in the United States who die each year as the
result of a sleep-related issue according to a new report from the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention The causes vary but child health experts believe many of the
deaths would be preventable if more parents adhered to safe-sleep practices For instance
babies should be placed on their backs to sleep but the CDC found that 22 percent of
moms placed babies on their side or stomach Soft bedding mdash blankets pillows bumper
pads mdash should be kept out of the sleep area but 39 percent of moms said they used soft
bedding And itrsquos a good idea to share a room with an infant but not a bed with a baby Still
61 percent of moms told the CDC they had slept with their babies The Washington Post
top of page
US US faces oversupply of antibiotic-free chicken -
Sanderson Farms 16 January - Supplies of chicken raised without antibiotics are outstripping demand a major
US poultry producer said on Tuesday a sign of overproduction that could eat into
processorsrsquo profits Large chicken and restaurant companies including Tyson Foods Inc and
McDonaldrsquos Corp have raced to cut antibiotics from poultry supplies as public health
experts have warned about the link between use of the drugs in farms and the rise of drug-
resistant bacteria Antibiotic-free chickens made up an average of 405 percent of all fresh
US production for the first 10 months of 2017 Sanderson Farms Inc said in a regulatory
filing However only 64 percent of sales were for products sold as antibiotic-free (ABF)
according to Sanderson the third-largest US poultry producer Reuters
top of page
US US government to shield health workers under
religious freedom 18 January - The US government is seeking to further protect the ldquoconscience and religious
23
freedomrdquo of health workers whose beliefs prevent them from carrying out abortions and
other procedures in an effort likely to please conservative Christian activists and other
supporters of President Donald Trump The US Department of Health and Human Services
said on Thursday it will create a division within its Office of Civil Rights to give it ldquothe focus it
needs to more vigorously and effectively enforce existing laws protecting the rights of
conscience and religious freedomrdquo Healthcare workers hospitals with religious affiliations
and medical students among others have been ldquobulliedrdquo by the federal government to
provide these services despite existing laws on religious and conscience rights the top HHS
official said Reuters
top of page
USPACOM
Bangladesh Cold wave
12 January - Severe cold wave is sweeping over Bangladesh It was recorded the lowest in
Bangladeshrsquos history at 26 degrees yesterday in Tetulia Rangpur division hellip According to
the MET office the cold wave is likely to continue till January 14 and one or two more cold
waves are expected later this month hellip The cold wave has disrupted the lives of many in
northern Bangladesh Poor people particularly the farmers and rickshaw-pullers have been
affected badly Children and elderly people are the worst affected Twenty-seven (27)
persons have been reported dead ReliefWeb
top of page
Indonesia Indonesia sends military to help fight health
crisis in Papua
17 January - Indonesia is deploying military paramedics to carry food and vaccines to a
remote part of its easternmost province of Papua where reports say at least 61 infants died
from malnutrition and diseases such as measles hellip The situation in the remote Asmat
regency was an ldquoextraordinary incidentrdquo the health ministry said in a statement adding that
it was sending 39 health workers there The Indonesian military has sent 53 personnel
including paramedics besides medical equipment vaccines and 11100 packages of instant
food it added hellip ldquoThere is a link between the malnutrition and (catching) other diseasesrdquo
[Health Minister Nila] Moeloek added ldquoIf yoursquore undernourished you will get those
diseasesrdquo Reuters
top of page
Philippines Sanofi will reimburse Philippines
government for unused Dengvaxia
16 January - Yesterday Sanofi Pasteur the French pharmaceutical giant announced it will
reimburse the Philippines government for unused doses of Dengvaxia its controversial
24
dengue vaccine The announcement comes weeks after the company recommended the
vaccine not be used in people without prior dengue infections as it may prime dengue-
naive recipients for more severe infections More than 800000 Filipino children had already
received Dengvaxia when the recommendation was made Sanofi Pasteur has responded
positively to the Philippine Department of Healths (DoH) request that we provide
reimbursement for the doses of Dengvaxia that were not used by the government in the
public vaccination program the company said CIDRAP News Scan (third item)
top of page
USSOUTHCOM
Brazil WHO recommends yellow fever shot to Sao Paulo
visitors
16 January - The World Health Organization said on Tuesday that the whole of Sao Paulo
state which includes Brazilrsquos largest city Sao Paulo should be considered at risk for yellow
fever and recommended foreign travelers get vaccinated before visiting But Brazilrsquos Health
Ministry said the WHO recommendation coming just weeks before Carnival when tens of
thousands of tourists descend on Brazil would not cause it to change its advisory that only
travelers going to rural areas need to get vaccinated Deputy Health Minister Antonio Carlos
Nardi said Carnival celebrations in February were in urban areas and that visitors would not
be at risk if they stayed in cities Nardi said the number of cases had risen again this year
but that there was no outbreak of yellow fever in the country Reuters
top of page
25
US Military | Global | Influenza | VeterinaryFood Safety | Wellness | Contact Us
USAFRICOM | USCENTCOM | USEUCOM | USNORTHCOM | USPACOM | USSOUTHCOM
The Army Public Health Weekly Update does not analyze the information as to its strategic or tactical impact on the US Army and is not a medical
intelligence product Medical intelligence is available from the National Center for Medical Intelligence
External Links The appearance of external hyperlinks does not constitute endorsement by the US Army of this Web site or the information products
or services contained therein For other than authorized activities such as military exchanges and MWR sites the US Army does not exercise any
editorial control over the information you may find at these locations Such links are provided consistent with the stated purpose of this product
Although we avoid links to sites that may be blocked all sites may not be accessible from all locations While we verify the links at the time of
publication we cannot guarantee that they will be active in the future
Articles appearing in the Update do not necessarily represent US Army Medical Command opinionsviews policy or guidance and should not be
construed or interpreted as being endorsed by the US Army Medical Command
The Army Public Health Weekly Update is published by the Public Health Information Directorate Army Public Health Center
8
Ae albopictus are the main vectors of the disease (and also transmit dengue chikungunya
and yellow fever) other species have been theorized to be able to carry the Zika virus as
well Mexican researchers looked at Ae aegypti and Ae vexans as well as Culex
quinquefasciatus Cx coronator and Cx tarsalis They collected 579 mosquitoes over 5
separate days from September to November 2016 in different parts of the Guadalajara
metropolitan area They were able to isolate in cell culture Zika virus from different body
partsmdashincluding the salivary glandsmdashof female mosquitoes representing all five species and
in whole male Ae aegypti and Cx quinquefasciatus mosquitoes
CIDRAP News Scan (third item)
top of page
Zika infection during pregnancy may disrupt fetal oxygen
supply 18 January - Zika virus infection appears to affect oxygen delivery to the fetuses of pregnant
monkeys according to a small study Researchers also observed a high degree of
inflammation in the placenta and lining of the uterus which can harm the fetal immune
system and increase a newborns susceptibility to additional infections hellip [Researchers] used
non-invasive imaging to evaluate how persistent Zika infection affects pregnancy in five
rhesus macaques The team found that the virus induces high levels of inflammation in the
blood vessels of the uterus and damages placental villi the branch-like growths that help
transfer oxygen and nutrients from maternal blood to the fetus The researchers suggest
that this damage may disrupt oxygen transport to the fetus which can restrict its growth
and lead to stillbirth among other conditions NIH
top of page
INFLUENZA
AFHSB DoD Seasonal Influenza Surveillance Summary For Week 1
NORTHCOM Influenza activity continued to increase with the majority of states
experiencing moderate to high activity
EUCOM Influenza activity in EUCOM increased and ranged from minimal to high
depending on the country
PACOM Influenza activity continued to increase throughout PACOM and was high
in Hawaii and the Republic of Korea
CENTCOM and AFRICOM Since week 48 TMDS data has not been sent to AFHSB
Therefore the CENTCOM map and figure are not presented as the data will be
incomplete
SOUTHCOM Since week 48 TMDS data has not been sent to AFHSB Therefore
SOUTHCOM data is incomplete and will not be provided
top of page
9
APHC US Army Influenza Activity Report
For the week ending 6 January 2018 (week 1)
In week 1 722 influenza A-positive specimens were reported by Army medical treatment
facilities which is a 45 increase from the 498 positive influenza A specimens reported in
week 52 This influenza season is on track to be one of the most active according to the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) To decrease the spread of flu ill Service
Members should be placed on quarters and the flu vaccine should be administered to
unvaccinated individuals Furthermore the CDC recommends taking antivirals within 48
hours of symptom onset to lessen the symptoms of the flu for those that do become ill
APHC
top of page
CDC Flu View - Weekly US Influenza Surveillance
Report
During week 1 (December 31 2017-January 6 2018) influenza activity increased in the
United States
Viral Surveillance The most frequently identified influenza virus subtype reported
by public health laboratories during week 1 was influenza A(H3) The percentage of
respiratory specimens testing positive for influenza in clinical laboratories remained
elevated
Pneumonia and Influenza Mortality The proportion of deaths attributed to
pneumonia and influenza (PampI) was at the system-specific epidemic threshold in the
National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) Mortality Surveillance System
Influenza-associated Pediatric Deaths Seven influenza-associated pediatric deaths
were reported CDC
top of page
ECDC Flu News Europe
Week 12018 (1ndash7 January 2018)
Influenza activity was increasing in countries in northern southern and western
Europe
Both influenza type A and B viruses were co-circulating and different patterns of
circulation were observed across countries in the Region
Of the individuals sampled on presenting with ILI or ARI to sentinel primary
healthcare sites 42 tested positive for influenza viruses similar to the 44 in the
previous week
EuroMOMO data showed excess mortality in the elderly (gt65 years of age) for the
United-Kingdom (Scotland) Spain and Portugal
European Center for Disease Prevention and ControlWHO
top of page
10
For CDC reducing flu spread takes priority over nuclear
attack preparedness
15 January - The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention changed the topic of a nuclear
strike preparedness session opting to focus on a widespread flu outbreak The Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention has postponed a planned Tuesday session on nuclear attack
preparedness deciding instead to focus the workshop on influenza The agency announced
the switch in topics late Friday citing the spike in flu cases as the reason for the pivot To
date this influenza season is notable for the sheer volume of flu that most of the United
States is seeing at the same time which can stress health systems according to a CDC
statement The vast majority of this activity has been caused by influenza A H3N2
associated with severe illness in young children and people 65 years and older NPR
top of page
NHRC Operational Infectious Diseases - Weekly
Surveillance Report
11 January - Febrile respiratory illness cases
Military Recruits - 24 positive of 33 tested
CDC Border Infectious Disease Surveillance and Zika Surveillance - 122 positive of
157 tested
DoD Beneficiaries ndash 12 positive of 21 tested Naval Health Research Center
top of page
lsquoSmart thermometersrsquo track flu season in real time
16 January ndash A company making ldquosmart thermometersrdquo that upload body temperatures to
its website claims to be tracking this yearrsquos flu season faster and in greater geographic detail
than public health authorities can This yearrsquos flu season mdash which the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention considers ldquomoderately severerdquo mdash has left Missouri and Iowa the
ldquosickest states in the countryrdquo said Inder Singh the founder of Kinsahealthcom California
has had its worst outbreak in five years with nearly 1 percent of the state exhibiting flu
symptoms on Jan 2 he added By contrast New York New England and the Southeast have
had relatively mild seasons so far but cases are rising and should peak in two weeks Mr
Singhrsquos data paints a different picture from that of the CDC which held a news conference
Friday to announce that flu activity was ldquowidespreadrdquo across the continental United States
which is unusual The New York Times
top of page
Study reveals more H1N1 deaths in those exposed to 57
pandemic
17 January - hellip [Researchers have] found more evidence that exposure to a pandemic strain
can make people more susceptible to the next pandemic strainmdashif the viruses are greatly
11
different from each other hellip For the 2009 H1N1 pandemic season the investigators found
peaks in death rates in people from [United States and Mexico] who were 52 years old
corresponding with a birth year of 1957 when the H2N2 Asian flu pandemic occurred The
team said the vulnerability that they and others have noted in subsequent pandemics marks
an unappreciated risk factor and has all the markings of a cohort effect showing the value
of studying flu deaths by individual birth year instead of very large age-groups The findings
suggest that increased pandemic deaths in people primed in early life by viruses that have
little to no antigenic overlap with new pandemic or seasonal viruses might result in
responses that increase the pathogenicity of the disease possibly compromising lung
function the group wrote CIDRAP
top of page
USAFSAM amp DHA DoD Global Laboratory-Based
Influenza Surveillance Program During 17 - 30 December 2017 (Surveillance Weeks 51 amp 52) a total of 434 specimens were
collected and received from 58 locations Results were finalized for 396 specimens from 57
locations During Week 51 there were 115 influenza viruses detected 88 influenza A(H3N2)
(including two coinfections) 11 influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 and 16 influenza B (including two
coinfections) During Week 51 the influenza percent positive was approximately 38
During Week 52 there were 44 influenza viruses detected 35 influenza A(H3N2) (including
two coinfections) two influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 (including one coinfection) and seven
influenza B viruses (including one coinfection) The influenza percent positive was
approximately 49 during Week 52 The influenza percent positive for the season is 17
US Air Force School of Aerospace Medicine amp Defense Health Agency
top of page
VETERINARYFOOD SAFETY
Dozens of brands of ice cream bars now on recall for
Listeria 14 January - A Listeria-related ice cream bar recall that started Jan 5 with less than 400
cases of frozen treats now includes additional flavors and brands totaling close to 29000
cases sent to more than 35 retail chains across the country No illnesses have been
confirmed in connection with the ice cream products However finished samples tested
positive for Listeria monocytogenes before the initial recall and more samples have tested
positive since then spurring Fieldbrook Foods Corp to broaden its recall hellip Officials are
concerned that consumers and entities along the food supply chain may still have the
recalled ice cream treats in their freezers hellip ldquoThere is no evidence of any contamination
prior to Oct 31 2017 but the company has issued the recall back to Jan 1 2017 through
an abundance of caution and in full cooperation with the FDA (Food and Drug
Administration)rdquo according to the recall notice posted on the FDA website
Food Safety News
top of page
12
French police search Lactalis sites after baby milk scare
17 January -French police were searching several sites belonging to dairy producer Lactalis
on Wednesday following a salmonella contamination scare that prompted a global recall of
several baby food products a source at the Paris prosecutorrsquos office said The scandal
deepened this month when it emerged some of the recalled baby foods had still made their
way onto shop shelves in a number of supermarket chains The Paris prosecutor opened a
preliminary probe into the salmonella contamination scare in late December Reuters
top of page
Fugu freakout Dont eat the blowfish Japanese officials
warn
16 January - Officials in the central Japanese city of Gamagori
are warning residents not to eat blowfish purchased from a
local supermarket after potentially deadly parts of the fish were
inadvertently sold The market sold five packages of fish
without removing their livers which can contain a potent
neurotoxin Three of the packages of fish have been recovered
by authorities but two others remain at large hellip Eating fugu liver can paralyze motor
nerves and in a serious case cause respiratory arrest leading to death regional officials
said in a warning statement Blowfish known in Japan as fugu is a highly prized delicacy
both as sashimi or as an ingredient in soup but the fishs liver ovaries and skin contain the
poison tetrodotoxin and the parts must be removed by specially trained and licensed
preparers There is no known antidote to the poison NPR
top of page
Multistate outbreak of Salmonella infections linked to
coconut tree brand frozen shredded coconut
16 January - CDC public health and regulatory officials in several states and the US Food
and Drug Administration (FDA) are investigating a multistate outbreak of Salmonella
infections hellip As of January 12 2018 25 people infected with the outbreak strains of
Salmonella I 4[5]12b- (24 people) or Salmonella Newport (1 person) have been reported
from 9 states One more ill person infected with the outbreak strain of Salmonella I
4[5]12b- has been reported from Canada hellip Illnesses started on dates ranging from May
11 2017 to November 4 2017 Ill people range in age from 1 year to 82 with a median age
of 19 Among ill people 19 (76) are male Six people (24) report being hospitalized No
deaths have been reported hellip The frozen shredded coconut linked to this outbreak was
used as an ingredient in Asian-style dessert drinks served at restaurants The product was
also sold in grocery stores and markets in several states Frozen shredded coconut can last
for several months if kept frozen and may still be in retail stores or in peoplersquos homes CDC
top of page
13
Pets Raw meat diets pose a risk to both animal and
human health
12 January - Experts are warning dog and cat owners to be
aware of the risks associated with feeding their pets raw meat-
based diets (RMBDs) instead of the more conventional dry or
canned pet foods hellip Of most concern however is the risk to
public or animal health due to contamination of RMBDs with
zoonotic bacteria and parasites that can pass between animals and humans hellip [A] team of
researchers based in The Netherlands say these diets may be contaminated with bacteria
and parasites and as such may pose a risk to both animal and human health hellip They
analysed 35 commercial frozen RMBDs from eight different brands widely available in The
Netherlands Escherichia coli O157 was isolated from eight products (23) Listeria species
were present in 15 products (43) and Salmonella species in seven products (20) Both E
coli O157 and Salmonella infections in humans have been linked with serious illnesses
Outbreak News Today
top of page
South Africa More Listeriosis cases and deaths Whatrsquos
being done
18 January - In just a matter of a few days the Listeriosis outbreak described as the ldquolargest
documented listeriosis outbreak South Africa has ever experiencedrdquo has grown by 19 cases
with a new outbreak total of 767 laboratory-confirmed listeriosis cases as of Jan 16 The
National Institute of Communicable Diseases (NICD) now puts the death toll at 81 hellip At
present the source of the outbreak is not known hellip The National Department of Health is hellip
interviewing all persons who have been diagnosed with Listeria to understand what food
they have eaten and identify trends Outbreak News Today
top of page
The parasite on the playground
16 January - Millions of American children have been
exposed to hellip parasites roundworms of the genus Toxocara
live in the intestines of cats and dogs especially strays
Microscopic eggs from Toxocara are shed in the animalsrsquo
feces contaminating yards playgrounds and sandboxes
These infectious particles cling to the hands of children
playing outside Once swallowed the eggs soon hatch releasing larvae that wriggle through
the body and evidence suggests may even reach the brain compromising learning and
cognition hellip The latest [CDC] report hellip estimated that about 5 percent of the United States
population mdash or about 16 million people mdash carry Toxocara antibodies in their blood a sign
they have ingested the eggs But the risk is not evenly shared Poor and minority
populations are more often exposed The rate among African Americans was almost 7
14
percent according to the CDC Among people living below the poverty line the infection
rate was 10 percent The New York Times
top of page
WELLNESS
Current cigarette smoking among adults mdash United States
2016
19 January - hellip The proportion of US adults who smoke cigarettes declined from 209 in
2005 (451 million smokers) to 155 in 2016 (378 million smokers) but cigarette smoking
prevalence did not change significantly during 2015ndash2016 Sociodemographic disparities in
cigarette smoking persist During 2005ndash2016 increases occurred in the proportion of adult
ever smokers who quit smoking (508 to 590) Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report
top of page
Cycling does not harm mens sexual health study says
12 January - Cycling does not negatively affect mens
sexual health or urinary function a study has found
Researchers compared cyclists with runners and
swimmers and found their sexual and urinary health was
comparable The findings contrasted with previous
studies that suggested cycling could negatively affect mens sexual function the studys
authors said They said the benefits to cycling far outweigh the risks hellip Sexual health and
urinary function were comparable in all three groups researchers said although some
cyclists were more prone to urethral strictures - a narrowing of the urethra hellip The cyclists
did have statistically significant higher odds of genital numbness the study found
BBC News
top of page
Obesity shaved almost a year off US life expectancy
study says
16 January - Rising obesity rates in the US may be responsible for as many as 186000
deaths per year according to a new analysis The US has seen only relatively modest
improvements in mortality rates over the past couple decades despite public health
victories including major reductions in smoking Death rates tied to cardiovascular disease
cancer and other chronic illnesses for example declined more slowly in the US than in any
of 13 similarly developed nations between 1999 and 2015 Researchers hellip thought rising
obesity rates might have something to do with it so they pored over two subsequent
editions of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Study (NHANES) and the
associated death records Increases in obesity according to the paper slowed gains in
15
mortality rates by 054 between 1988 and 2011 shaving an estimated 09 years off the
national life expectancy at age 40 and resulting in as many as 186000 additional deaths in
2011 alone Time
top of page
Researchers probe stomach surgeryrsquos lsquomiraclersquo secrets
17 January - Nima Saeidi an assistant professor of surgery at Harvard Medical School and
Massachusetts General Hospital and a member of the Center for Engineering in Medicine
had started down one career path when a lecture on Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery
redirected him The MGH lecture outlined not just the procedurersquos striking effectiveness for
weight loss hellip but also its promise against diabetes high blood pressure cholesterol and
fatty-food cravings hellip The idea of a compound that mimics the positives of Roux-en-Y is
particularly enticing amid twin national epidemics of obesity and diabetes The surgery
has been shown to affect insulin sensitivity and production of the hunger hormones ghrelin
and leptin It also alters the composition of a patientrsquos microbiome hellip Saeidi and colleagues
have turned to new rodent models spectroscopic instruments and novel informatics
techniques that shift inquiry from a traditional hypothesis-based step-by-step exploration
to one that seeks to reverse-engineer the problem by searching broadly for postoperative
chemical changes in the body and then working to understand them Harvard Gazette
top of page
Wal-Mart launches program to safely dispose of unused
opioids
17 January - The company said patients filling any new class II opioid prescriptions at its
pharmacies will receive a free packet of the product - called DisposeRx - when filling a new
prescription hellip People filling prescriptions at Samrsquos Club can also get DisposeRx at their
pharmacies In order to safely dispose of opioids patients would add warm water and the
DisposeRx powder to their pill bottle which then forms a biodegradable gel around the
pills Reuters
top of page
USAFRICOM
Democratic Republic of the Congo Five cases of vaccine-
derived polio detected in DRC
12 January - In an advance notification the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) said
there are five new cases of vaccine-derived polio from the Democratic Republic of the
Congo (DRC) hellip These are the first cases reported from the DRC in 2018 but illness onset
dates havent yet been recorded For 2017 there were 12 cases of circulating vaccine-
derived poliovirus type 2 (cVDPV2) in the DRC and 74 reported in Syria hellip In other polio
news Science published an article today describing the increasing number of polio
16
environmental samples found in Pakistan despite the dwindling number of human cases
The authors said the increasing samples could be sign that polio is on its last legs in that
country before eradication CIDRAP News Scan (fourth item)
top of page
Namibia Hepatitis E
15 January - During the week ending on 13 October 2017 the first identified case was
admitted to a public hospital in Windhoek district with signs and symptoms of hepatitis E
During the week ending on 8 January 2018 a total of 237 probable and confirmed cases
have been seen at various health facilities in Windhoek district with the same signs and
symptoms All suspected patients tested negative for hepatitis A B and C A total of 41 of
the 237 cases were sent for further testing and on 8 January 2018 the results showed 21
were IgM positive for hepatitis E WHO
top of page
Nigeria 3 die from Lassa fever in Ebonyi State
16 January - Four cases of Lassa fever were reported among health care workers in Ebonyi
State in southeastern Nigeria with three passing away from the lethal viral disease
the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) said The Honorable Minister of Health
Professor Isaac Adewole immediately requested that NCDC provides support to the
Government of Ebonyi State to investigate and respond to this cluster of cases
Outbreak News Today
top of page
South Africa Cape Town slashes water use amid drought
18 January - The South African city of Cape Town will slash residents water allowance to 50
litres a day from next month amid fears that it could become the worlds first major city to
run out of water The city had reached a point of no return Mayor Patricia de Lille said
Cape Town a popular tourist destination has been hit by its worst drought in a century Ms
De Lille warned that the city risked reaching Day Zero on 21 April when taps in homes
could run dry We can no longer ask people to stop wasting water We must force them
she said at a press conference Despite our urging for months 60 of Capetonians are
callously using more than 87 litres per day she added referring to the current daily limit A
person uses about 15 litres per minute for a typical shower and the same amount when
flushing a standard toilet according to WaterWise a South African water usage awareness
campaign BBC News
top of page
South Sudan Rift Valley fever suspected in South Sudan
VHF cluster 2 cases reported
16 January - Preliminary indications into South Sudans recent viral hemorrhagic fever
outbreak suggest that Rift Valley fever (RVF) may be the cause the World Health
17
Organization (WHO) Regional Office for Africa said in its latest outbreak and health
emergencies update The initial cluster included three patients from the same area of
Eastern Lakes state who had similar symptoms and died from their infections in December
hellip [T]wo more suspected human cases have been reported and involve an 18-year-old
pregnant woman who is a contact of a patient in the initial cluster and a 14-year-old girl
from a neighboring village who had no epidemiologic links to the original three cluster
patients State and national task forces have been activated The WHO said surveillance in
humans and animals needs to be strengthened in the area while efforts continue to confirm
the cause of the outbreak CIDRAP New Scan (first item)
top of page
Uganda Doctors in Uganda warn crisis level blood
shortage is putting lives at risk
16 January - Uganda is grappling with a critical shortage of blood that is affecting services
and putting patientsrsquo lives at risk The health ministryrsquos blood bank facility in the capital
Kampala which stores and distributes supplies to hospitals is practically empty It has just
150 units of blood remaining not enough to meet requirements on an average day in the
city Nationally Uganda needs at least 340000 units of safe blood annually but usually only
collects 200000 a year A six-day countrywide blood collection drive was launched by the
ministry on Monday The Uganda Medical Association an umbrella organisation of doctors
in public health facilities said the shortage was ldquoalmost [at] crisis levelrdquo resulting in the
cancellation of hospital operations and prioritisation of cases The Guardian
top of page
United Republic of Tanzania Cholera
12 January - From 15 August 2015 through 7 January 2018 33421 cases including 542
deaths (case fatality rate = 162) have been reported across all 26 regions of the United
Republic of Tanzania (Tanzania mainland and Zanzibar) Tanzania mainland has reported
86 of the total cases in this outbreak Children under five years old accounted for 114 of
cases Since the beginning of the outbreak over 7000 specimens have been tested for
cholera and 47 were positive for Vibrio cholerae by culture From 1 January 2017 through
31 December 4985 cases including 99 deaths have been reported in Tanzania Mainland
and Zanzibar The number of cases as well as geographical spread of cholera has markedly
reduced compared to the two previous years WHO
top of page
Zambia Zambia relaxes restrictions as cholera outbreak
slows
14 January - Zambia on Sunday relaxed rules imposed to curb the spread of cholera as the
number of new cases being reported has halved Health Minister Chitalu Chilufya said
Schools and some markets will be allowed to re-open Chilufya told a news conference in
Lusaka Police arrested 55 people in the capital on Friday after residents rioted over a curfew
18
and ban on street vending The outbreak has killed 74 people since Oct 4 including 68 in
Lusaka Chilufya said The number of new cases has fallen to around 80 from 164 a week
ago Of the more than 3200 cases reported in total more than 3000 have been in Lusaka
All government and private schools will re-open on Jan 22 but Zambiarsquos two largest public
universities will remain closed for now President Edgar Lungu last month directed the
military to clean markets and unblock drains to help to fight the spread of the waterborne
disease Reuters
top of page
USCENTCOM
Yemen UN hopes imports will help stave off famine in
Yemen as diphtheria spreads
16 January - United Nations aid agencies called on Tuesday for the Yemeni port of
Hodeidah to remain open beyond Friday the date set by a Saudi-led military coalition to
permit continued delivery of life-saving goods Yemen is the worldrsquos worst humanitarian
crisis where 83 million people are entirely dependent on external food aid and 400000
children suffer from severe acute malnutrition a potentially lethal condition they said hellip
More than 11 million Yemeni children - virtually all - need humanitarian assistance Relano
said UNICEF figures show 25000 Yemeni babies die at birth or before the age of one
month hellip A diphtheria outbreak in Yemen is ldquospreading quicklyrdquo with 678 cases and 48
associated deaths in four months Fadela Chaib of the World Health Organisation said
Reuters
top of page
USEUCOM
Ukraine Ukraine conflict has increased spread of HIV in
silent epidemic
16 January - The conflict in eastern Ukraine has increased the
spread of HIV throughout the country as people have been
uprooted by the violence a new study finds hellip Ukraine has
among the highest HIV rates in Europe with an estimated
220000 infected in a country of about 45 million hellip The study
says the HIV crisis in Ukraine has become a silent epidemic because half of HIV-infected
people are unaware they have the infection and around 40 percent of newly diagnosed
people are in the later stages of the disease hellip [A]n international team of scientists hellip
analyzed viral migration patterns in Ukraine from 2012 to 2015 They found a correlation
between the movement of 17 million people uprooted by the war and the spread of HIV
19
hellip The HIV epidemic has shifted from being associated with drug injections in the 1990s to
most new infections now being spread by sexual transmission the study found
Radio Free EuropeRadio Liberty
top of page
United Kingdom Britain appoints minister for loneliness
amid growing isolation
17 January - Britain has appointed a minister for loneliness to take forward the work of
murdered lawmaker Jo Cox and tackle the isolation felt by more than one in ten people in
the UK Sports minister Tracey Crouch will take on the new role [to] develop a strategy to
address the problem which research has linked with dementia early mortality and high
blood pressure hellip The majority of people over 75 live alone and about 200000 older people
in the UK have not had a conversation with a friend or relative in more than a month
according to government data Most doctors in Britain see between one and five patients a
day who have come mainly because they are lonely according to the Campaign to End
Loneliness Reuters
top of page
United Kingdom Measles outbreak spreading across
England warn health officials
16 January - Public health experts are urging parents to immunise their children against
measles as the potentially deadly bug has now spread to five regions in England With more
than 100 cases confirmed Public Health England warns that the UK could be on the verge
of an outbreak due to a rise in cases across Europe People who have recently visited
Romania Italy and Germany and have not been fully immunised against measles via the
MMR vaccine may be most at risk they said hellip However not all cases are being spread by
those who have visited countries included in the European outbreak a spokesperson for
Public Health England told The Independent We know that measles cases are showing a
link to importation from Europe where there are ongoing outbreaks but the cases are also
spreading within the UK in under-vaccinated communities they explained
The Independent
top of page
United Kingdom UK drugs regulator plays down Brexit
disruption threat
16 January - Britainrsquos drugs regulator said on Tuesday it would work to minimise disruption
caused by the country leaving the European Union as it tried to allay some of the worst
fears of pharmaceutical companies The highly regulated drugs industry is concerned about
Brexit fallout as the European Medicines Agency (EMA) relocates from London to
Amsterdam creating uncertainty about drug approvals after 2019 The Medicines and
Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) said in an update on its website that it
20
hoped to have a continuing relationship with the EMA after Brexit but if this did not happen
it would be ldquopragmaticrdquo in setting UK drug rules hellip The agency also noted that London and
Brussels agreed last month that ldquogoods placed on the market under Union law before the
withdrawal date may freely circulate on the markets of the UK and the Union with no need
for product modifications or re-labellingrdquo The Association of the British Pharmaceutical
Industry hellip warned that planning for a scenario where Britain had a separate regulatory
system required further detail Reuters
top of page
USNORTHCOM
US FDA expects IV fluid shortage to improve in coming
weeks months
16 January - The US Food and Drug Administration said on Tuesday it expects a shortage
of intravenous saline fluids for hospitals due to damage to key manufacturing facilities in
Puerto Rico to improve over the coming weeks and months FDA Commissioner Scott
Gottlieb said that the FDA has approved IV saline products from more companies which is
expected to boost US supply He said the tight supply of saline products had been
exacerbated by increased demand as a result of a worse-than-normal flu season At the
same time Gottlieb said the agency is concerned about a potential shortage of IV
containers as demand for empty IV containers increases as an alternative to filled bags
Reuters
top of page
US Mapping how the opioid epidemic sparked an HIV
outbreak
14 January - When people started to show up to Dr William Cookes primary care office in
Austin Ind in 2014 with HIV Cooke knew it was probably related to the regions opioid
epidemic But what he and the rest of the public health community didnt know was who
they were missing or how long the HIV outbreak had been going on Now theyve got a
clearer picture mdash literally In visualizations published in the Journal of Infectious Diseases
dots and lines define the constellations of Indianas HIV outbreak Using genetic
sequencing they show how long the outbreak had been going on connected people who
hadnt previously been linked by traditional methods and showed how the virus jumped
from a slowly spreading infection to a virus transmitted quickly via needle sharing and
other smaller sub-epidemics NPR
top of page
21
US More $$ needed for health emergencies senators
told 17 January - The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) needs more funding to
effectively prepare for public health emergencies an HHS official said at a Senate hearing
Wednesday We cant do more things with limited resources Robert Kadlec MD HHS
assistant secretary for preparedness and response told members of the Senate Health
Education Labor amp Pensions (HELP) Committee hellip We have a $33 trillion healthcare
system of which we invest $250 million for preparedness Its just a drop in the bucket
The hearing focused on the pending reauthorization of the Pandemic and All-Hazards
Preparedness Act (PAHPA) a 2006 law that established Kadlecs position at HHS and
implemented several programs aimed at getting the nation ready for emergencies such as
developing and acquiring drugs and vaccines to be used when needed MedPage Today
top of page
US National Academies report endorses lower BAC
higher alcohol taxes 18 January - Getting to Zero Alcohol-Impaired Driving Fatalities a new report from the
National Academies of Sciences Engineering and Medicine recommends reducing state
laws criminalizing alcohol-impaired driving from 008 to 005 percent blood alcohol
concentration (BAC) increasing alcohol taxes significantly and other actions to address the
persistent problem of alcohol-impaired driving deaths There are more than 10000 alcohol-
impaired driving fatalities annually in the United States and the report says stakeholders
that range from transportation systems to alcohol retailers to law enforcement should join
forces to implement policies and systems to eliminate these preventable deaths The
committee that conducted the study and wrote the report recommended a number of
actions lowering state laws on BAC raising alcohol taxes significantly strengthening policies
to prevent illegal alcohol sales to people under 21 and to already intoxicated adults
enacting all-offender ignition interlock laws and providing effective treatment for offenders
when needed Occupational Health and Safety
top of page
US NIH study shows steep increase in rate of alcohol-
related ER visits 12 January - The rate of alcohol-related visits to US emergency departments (ED) increased
by nearly 50 percent between 2006 and 2014 especially among females and drinkers who
are middle-aged or older according to a new study conducted by researchers at the
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) part of the National Institutes
of Health hellip These increases far outpaced changes in the number and rate of ED visits for
any cause during the years studied hellip Although men account for more alcohol-related ED
visits than women the rate of such visits increased more among females than males (53
percent versus 40 percent annually) over the study period NIH
top of page
22
US Number of Americans without health insurance
grows in Trumps first year new figures show 16 January - The number of Americans without health coverage which declined for years
after passage of the Affordable Care Act shot up in President Trumprsquos first year in office
according to data from a new national survey At the end of 2017 122 of US adults
lacked health insurance up from 109 at the end of 2016 as President Obama was
completing his final term The increase of 13 percentage points although modest marks
the first time since at least 2008 that the share of adults without insurance increased from
the previous year hellip The increase indicates that 32 million Americans lost health coverage
in 2017 Gallup concluded Los Angeles Times
top of page
US The Big Number 3500 infants die of sleep-related
issues 13 January - Thatrsquos the number of babies in the United States who die each year as the
result of a sleep-related issue according to a new report from the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention The causes vary but child health experts believe many of the
deaths would be preventable if more parents adhered to safe-sleep practices For instance
babies should be placed on their backs to sleep but the CDC found that 22 percent of
moms placed babies on their side or stomach Soft bedding mdash blankets pillows bumper
pads mdash should be kept out of the sleep area but 39 percent of moms said they used soft
bedding And itrsquos a good idea to share a room with an infant but not a bed with a baby Still
61 percent of moms told the CDC they had slept with their babies The Washington Post
top of page
US US faces oversupply of antibiotic-free chicken -
Sanderson Farms 16 January - Supplies of chicken raised without antibiotics are outstripping demand a major
US poultry producer said on Tuesday a sign of overproduction that could eat into
processorsrsquo profits Large chicken and restaurant companies including Tyson Foods Inc and
McDonaldrsquos Corp have raced to cut antibiotics from poultry supplies as public health
experts have warned about the link between use of the drugs in farms and the rise of drug-
resistant bacteria Antibiotic-free chickens made up an average of 405 percent of all fresh
US production for the first 10 months of 2017 Sanderson Farms Inc said in a regulatory
filing However only 64 percent of sales were for products sold as antibiotic-free (ABF)
according to Sanderson the third-largest US poultry producer Reuters
top of page
US US government to shield health workers under
religious freedom 18 January - The US government is seeking to further protect the ldquoconscience and religious
23
freedomrdquo of health workers whose beliefs prevent them from carrying out abortions and
other procedures in an effort likely to please conservative Christian activists and other
supporters of President Donald Trump The US Department of Health and Human Services
said on Thursday it will create a division within its Office of Civil Rights to give it ldquothe focus it
needs to more vigorously and effectively enforce existing laws protecting the rights of
conscience and religious freedomrdquo Healthcare workers hospitals with religious affiliations
and medical students among others have been ldquobulliedrdquo by the federal government to
provide these services despite existing laws on religious and conscience rights the top HHS
official said Reuters
top of page
USPACOM
Bangladesh Cold wave
12 January - Severe cold wave is sweeping over Bangladesh It was recorded the lowest in
Bangladeshrsquos history at 26 degrees yesterday in Tetulia Rangpur division hellip According to
the MET office the cold wave is likely to continue till January 14 and one or two more cold
waves are expected later this month hellip The cold wave has disrupted the lives of many in
northern Bangladesh Poor people particularly the farmers and rickshaw-pullers have been
affected badly Children and elderly people are the worst affected Twenty-seven (27)
persons have been reported dead ReliefWeb
top of page
Indonesia Indonesia sends military to help fight health
crisis in Papua
17 January - Indonesia is deploying military paramedics to carry food and vaccines to a
remote part of its easternmost province of Papua where reports say at least 61 infants died
from malnutrition and diseases such as measles hellip The situation in the remote Asmat
regency was an ldquoextraordinary incidentrdquo the health ministry said in a statement adding that
it was sending 39 health workers there The Indonesian military has sent 53 personnel
including paramedics besides medical equipment vaccines and 11100 packages of instant
food it added hellip ldquoThere is a link between the malnutrition and (catching) other diseasesrdquo
[Health Minister Nila] Moeloek added ldquoIf yoursquore undernourished you will get those
diseasesrdquo Reuters
top of page
Philippines Sanofi will reimburse Philippines
government for unused Dengvaxia
16 January - Yesterday Sanofi Pasteur the French pharmaceutical giant announced it will
reimburse the Philippines government for unused doses of Dengvaxia its controversial
24
dengue vaccine The announcement comes weeks after the company recommended the
vaccine not be used in people without prior dengue infections as it may prime dengue-
naive recipients for more severe infections More than 800000 Filipino children had already
received Dengvaxia when the recommendation was made Sanofi Pasteur has responded
positively to the Philippine Department of Healths (DoH) request that we provide
reimbursement for the doses of Dengvaxia that were not used by the government in the
public vaccination program the company said CIDRAP News Scan (third item)
top of page
USSOUTHCOM
Brazil WHO recommends yellow fever shot to Sao Paulo
visitors
16 January - The World Health Organization said on Tuesday that the whole of Sao Paulo
state which includes Brazilrsquos largest city Sao Paulo should be considered at risk for yellow
fever and recommended foreign travelers get vaccinated before visiting But Brazilrsquos Health
Ministry said the WHO recommendation coming just weeks before Carnival when tens of
thousands of tourists descend on Brazil would not cause it to change its advisory that only
travelers going to rural areas need to get vaccinated Deputy Health Minister Antonio Carlos
Nardi said Carnival celebrations in February were in urban areas and that visitors would not
be at risk if they stayed in cities Nardi said the number of cases had risen again this year
but that there was no outbreak of yellow fever in the country Reuters
top of page
25
US Military | Global | Influenza | VeterinaryFood Safety | Wellness | Contact Us
USAFRICOM | USCENTCOM | USEUCOM | USNORTHCOM | USPACOM | USSOUTHCOM
The Army Public Health Weekly Update does not analyze the information as to its strategic or tactical impact on the US Army and is not a medical
intelligence product Medical intelligence is available from the National Center for Medical Intelligence
External Links The appearance of external hyperlinks does not constitute endorsement by the US Army of this Web site or the information products
or services contained therein For other than authorized activities such as military exchanges and MWR sites the US Army does not exercise any
editorial control over the information you may find at these locations Such links are provided consistent with the stated purpose of this product
Although we avoid links to sites that may be blocked all sites may not be accessible from all locations While we verify the links at the time of
publication we cannot guarantee that they will be active in the future
Articles appearing in the Update do not necessarily represent US Army Medical Command opinionsviews policy or guidance and should not be
construed or interpreted as being endorsed by the US Army Medical Command
The Army Public Health Weekly Update is published by the Public Health Information Directorate Army Public Health Center
9
APHC US Army Influenza Activity Report
For the week ending 6 January 2018 (week 1)
In week 1 722 influenza A-positive specimens were reported by Army medical treatment
facilities which is a 45 increase from the 498 positive influenza A specimens reported in
week 52 This influenza season is on track to be one of the most active according to the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) To decrease the spread of flu ill Service
Members should be placed on quarters and the flu vaccine should be administered to
unvaccinated individuals Furthermore the CDC recommends taking antivirals within 48
hours of symptom onset to lessen the symptoms of the flu for those that do become ill
APHC
top of page
CDC Flu View - Weekly US Influenza Surveillance
Report
During week 1 (December 31 2017-January 6 2018) influenza activity increased in the
United States
Viral Surveillance The most frequently identified influenza virus subtype reported
by public health laboratories during week 1 was influenza A(H3) The percentage of
respiratory specimens testing positive for influenza in clinical laboratories remained
elevated
Pneumonia and Influenza Mortality The proportion of deaths attributed to
pneumonia and influenza (PampI) was at the system-specific epidemic threshold in the
National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) Mortality Surveillance System
Influenza-associated Pediatric Deaths Seven influenza-associated pediatric deaths
were reported CDC
top of page
ECDC Flu News Europe
Week 12018 (1ndash7 January 2018)
Influenza activity was increasing in countries in northern southern and western
Europe
Both influenza type A and B viruses were co-circulating and different patterns of
circulation were observed across countries in the Region
Of the individuals sampled on presenting with ILI or ARI to sentinel primary
healthcare sites 42 tested positive for influenza viruses similar to the 44 in the
previous week
EuroMOMO data showed excess mortality in the elderly (gt65 years of age) for the
United-Kingdom (Scotland) Spain and Portugal
European Center for Disease Prevention and ControlWHO
top of page
10
For CDC reducing flu spread takes priority over nuclear
attack preparedness
15 January - The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention changed the topic of a nuclear
strike preparedness session opting to focus on a widespread flu outbreak The Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention has postponed a planned Tuesday session on nuclear attack
preparedness deciding instead to focus the workshop on influenza The agency announced
the switch in topics late Friday citing the spike in flu cases as the reason for the pivot To
date this influenza season is notable for the sheer volume of flu that most of the United
States is seeing at the same time which can stress health systems according to a CDC
statement The vast majority of this activity has been caused by influenza A H3N2
associated with severe illness in young children and people 65 years and older NPR
top of page
NHRC Operational Infectious Diseases - Weekly
Surveillance Report
11 January - Febrile respiratory illness cases
Military Recruits - 24 positive of 33 tested
CDC Border Infectious Disease Surveillance and Zika Surveillance - 122 positive of
157 tested
DoD Beneficiaries ndash 12 positive of 21 tested Naval Health Research Center
top of page
lsquoSmart thermometersrsquo track flu season in real time
16 January ndash A company making ldquosmart thermometersrdquo that upload body temperatures to
its website claims to be tracking this yearrsquos flu season faster and in greater geographic detail
than public health authorities can This yearrsquos flu season mdash which the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention considers ldquomoderately severerdquo mdash has left Missouri and Iowa the
ldquosickest states in the countryrdquo said Inder Singh the founder of Kinsahealthcom California
has had its worst outbreak in five years with nearly 1 percent of the state exhibiting flu
symptoms on Jan 2 he added By contrast New York New England and the Southeast have
had relatively mild seasons so far but cases are rising and should peak in two weeks Mr
Singhrsquos data paints a different picture from that of the CDC which held a news conference
Friday to announce that flu activity was ldquowidespreadrdquo across the continental United States
which is unusual The New York Times
top of page
Study reveals more H1N1 deaths in those exposed to 57
pandemic
17 January - hellip [Researchers have] found more evidence that exposure to a pandemic strain
can make people more susceptible to the next pandemic strainmdashif the viruses are greatly
11
different from each other hellip For the 2009 H1N1 pandemic season the investigators found
peaks in death rates in people from [United States and Mexico] who were 52 years old
corresponding with a birth year of 1957 when the H2N2 Asian flu pandemic occurred The
team said the vulnerability that they and others have noted in subsequent pandemics marks
an unappreciated risk factor and has all the markings of a cohort effect showing the value
of studying flu deaths by individual birth year instead of very large age-groups The findings
suggest that increased pandemic deaths in people primed in early life by viruses that have
little to no antigenic overlap with new pandemic or seasonal viruses might result in
responses that increase the pathogenicity of the disease possibly compromising lung
function the group wrote CIDRAP
top of page
USAFSAM amp DHA DoD Global Laboratory-Based
Influenza Surveillance Program During 17 - 30 December 2017 (Surveillance Weeks 51 amp 52) a total of 434 specimens were
collected and received from 58 locations Results were finalized for 396 specimens from 57
locations During Week 51 there were 115 influenza viruses detected 88 influenza A(H3N2)
(including two coinfections) 11 influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 and 16 influenza B (including two
coinfections) During Week 51 the influenza percent positive was approximately 38
During Week 52 there were 44 influenza viruses detected 35 influenza A(H3N2) (including
two coinfections) two influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 (including one coinfection) and seven
influenza B viruses (including one coinfection) The influenza percent positive was
approximately 49 during Week 52 The influenza percent positive for the season is 17
US Air Force School of Aerospace Medicine amp Defense Health Agency
top of page
VETERINARYFOOD SAFETY
Dozens of brands of ice cream bars now on recall for
Listeria 14 January - A Listeria-related ice cream bar recall that started Jan 5 with less than 400
cases of frozen treats now includes additional flavors and brands totaling close to 29000
cases sent to more than 35 retail chains across the country No illnesses have been
confirmed in connection with the ice cream products However finished samples tested
positive for Listeria monocytogenes before the initial recall and more samples have tested
positive since then spurring Fieldbrook Foods Corp to broaden its recall hellip Officials are
concerned that consumers and entities along the food supply chain may still have the
recalled ice cream treats in their freezers hellip ldquoThere is no evidence of any contamination
prior to Oct 31 2017 but the company has issued the recall back to Jan 1 2017 through
an abundance of caution and in full cooperation with the FDA (Food and Drug
Administration)rdquo according to the recall notice posted on the FDA website
Food Safety News
top of page
12
French police search Lactalis sites after baby milk scare
17 January -French police were searching several sites belonging to dairy producer Lactalis
on Wednesday following a salmonella contamination scare that prompted a global recall of
several baby food products a source at the Paris prosecutorrsquos office said The scandal
deepened this month when it emerged some of the recalled baby foods had still made their
way onto shop shelves in a number of supermarket chains The Paris prosecutor opened a
preliminary probe into the salmonella contamination scare in late December Reuters
top of page
Fugu freakout Dont eat the blowfish Japanese officials
warn
16 January - Officials in the central Japanese city of Gamagori
are warning residents not to eat blowfish purchased from a
local supermarket after potentially deadly parts of the fish were
inadvertently sold The market sold five packages of fish
without removing their livers which can contain a potent
neurotoxin Three of the packages of fish have been recovered
by authorities but two others remain at large hellip Eating fugu liver can paralyze motor
nerves and in a serious case cause respiratory arrest leading to death regional officials
said in a warning statement Blowfish known in Japan as fugu is a highly prized delicacy
both as sashimi or as an ingredient in soup but the fishs liver ovaries and skin contain the
poison tetrodotoxin and the parts must be removed by specially trained and licensed
preparers There is no known antidote to the poison NPR
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Multistate outbreak of Salmonella infections linked to
coconut tree brand frozen shredded coconut
16 January - CDC public health and regulatory officials in several states and the US Food
and Drug Administration (FDA) are investigating a multistate outbreak of Salmonella
infections hellip As of January 12 2018 25 people infected with the outbreak strains of
Salmonella I 4[5]12b- (24 people) or Salmonella Newport (1 person) have been reported
from 9 states One more ill person infected with the outbreak strain of Salmonella I
4[5]12b- has been reported from Canada hellip Illnesses started on dates ranging from May
11 2017 to November 4 2017 Ill people range in age from 1 year to 82 with a median age
of 19 Among ill people 19 (76) are male Six people (24) report being hospitalized No
deaths have been reported hellip The frozen shredded coconut linked to this outbreak was
used as an ingredient in Asian-style dessert drinks served at restaurants The product was
also sold in grocery stores and markets in several states Frozen shredded coconut can last
for several months if kept frozen and may still be in retail stores or in peoplersquos homes CDC
top of page
13
Pets Raw meat diets pose a risk to both animal and
human health
12 January - Experts are warning dog and cat owners to be
aware of the risks associated with feeding their pets raw meat-
based diets (RMBDs) instead of the more conventional dry or
canned pet foods hellip Of most concern however is the risk to
public or animal health due to contamination of RMBDs with
zoonotic bacteria and parasites that can pass between animals and humans hellip [A] team of
researchers based in The Netherlands say these diets may be contaminated with bacteria
and parasites and as such may pose a risk to both animal and human health hellip They
analysed 35 commercial frozen RMBDs from eight different brands widely available in The
Netherlands Escherichia coli O157 was isolated from eight products (23) Listeria species
were present in 15 products (43) and Salmonella species in seven products (20) Both E
coli O157 and Salmonella infections in humans have been linked with serious illnesses
Outbreak News Today
top of page
South Africa More Listeriosis cases and deaths Whatrsquos
being done
18 January - In just a matter of a few days the Listeriosis outbreak described as the ldquolargest
documented listeriosis outbreak South Africa has ever experiencedrdquo has grown by 19 cases
with a new outbreak total of 767 laboratory-confirmed listeriosis cases as of Jan 16 The
National Institute of Communicable Diseases (NICD) now puts the death toll at 81 hellip At
present the source of the outbreak is not known hellip The National Department of Health is hellip
interviewing all persons who have been diagnosed with Listeria to understand what food
they have eaten and identify trends Outbreak News Today
top of page
The parasite on the playground
16 January - Millions of American children have been
exposed to hellip parasites roundworms of the genus Toxocara
live in the intestines of cats and dogs especially strays
Microscopic eggs from Toxocara are shed in the animalsrsquo
feces contaminating yards playgrounds and sandboxes
These infectious particles cling to the hands of children
playing outside Once swallowed the eggs soon hatch releasing larvae that wriggle through
the body and evidence suggests may even reach the brain compromising learning and
cognition hellip The latest [CDC] report hellip estimated that about 5 percent of the United States
population mdash or about 16 million people mdash carry Toxocara antibodies in their blood a sign
they have ingested the eggs But the risk is not evenly shared Poor and minority
populations are more often exposed The rate among African Americans was almost 7
14
percent according to the CDC Among people living below the poverty line the infection
rate was 10 percent The New York Times
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WELLNESS
Current cigarette smoking among adults mdash United States
2016
19 January - hellip The proportion of US adults who smoke cigarettes declined from 209 in
2005 (451 million smokers) to 155 in 2016 (378 million smokers) but cigarette smoking
prevalence did not change significantly during 2015ndash2016 Sociodemographic disparities in
cigarette smoking persist During 2005ndash2016 increases occurred in the proportion of adult
ever smokers who quit smoking (508 to 590) Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report
top of page
Cycling does not harm mens sexual health study says
12 January - Cycling does not negatively affect mens
sexual health or urinary function a study has found
Researchers compared cyclists with runners and
swimmers and found their sexual and urinary health was
comparable The findings contrasted with previous
studies that suggested cycling could negatively affect mens sexual function the studys
authors said They said the benefits to cycling far outweigh the risks hellip Sexual health and
urinary function were comparable in all three groups researchers said although some
cyclists were more prone to urethral strictures - a narrowing of the urethra hellip The cyclists
did have statistically significant higher odds of genital numbness the study found
BBC News
top of page
Obesity shaved almost a year off US life expectancy
study says
16 January - Rising obesity rates in the US may be responsible for as many as 186000
deaths per year according to a new analysis The US has seen only relatively modest
improvements in mortality rates over the past couple decades despite public health
victories including major reductions in smoking Death rates tied to cardiovascular disease
cancer and other chronic illnesses for example declined more slowly in the US than in any
of 13 similarly developed nations between 1999 and 2015 Researchers hellip thought rising
obesity rates might have something to do with it so they pored over two subsequent
editions of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Study (NHANES) and the
associated death records Increases in obesity according to the paper slowed gains in
15
mortality rates by 054 between 1988 and 2011 shaving an estimated 09 years off the
national life expectancy at age 40 and resulting in as many as 186000 additional deaths in
2011 alone Time
top of page
Researchers probe stomach surgeryrsquos lsquomiraclersquo secrets
17 January - Nima Saeidi an assistant professor of surgery at Harvard Medical School and
Massachusetts General Hospital and a member of the Center for Engineering in Medicine
had started down one career path when a lecture on Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery
redirected him The MGH lecture outlined not just the procedurersquos striking effectiveness for
weight loss hellip but also its promise against diabetes high blood pressure cholesterol and
fatty-food cravings hellip The idea of a compound that mimics the positives of Roux-en-Y is
particularly enticing amid twin national epidemics of obesity and diabetes The surgery
has been shown to affect insulin sensitivity and production of the hunger hormones ghrelin
and leptin It also alters the composition of a patientrsquos microbiome hellip Saeidi and colleagues
have turned to new rodent models spectroscopic instruments and novel informatics
techniques that shift inquiry from a traditional hypothesis-based step-by-step exploration
to one that seeks to reverse-engineer the problem by searching broadly for postoperative
chemical changes in the body and then working to understand them Harvard Gazette
top of page
Wal-Mart launches program to safely dispose of unused
opioids
17 January - The company said patients filling any new class II opioid prescriptions at its
pharmacies will receive a free packet of the product - called DisposeRx - when filling a new
prescription hellip People filling prescriptions at Samrsquos Club can also get DisposeRx at their
pharmacies In order to safely dispose of opioids patients would add warm water and the
DisposeRx powder to their pill bottle which then forms a biodegradable gel around the
pills Reuters
top of page
USAFRICOM
Democratic Republic of the Congo Five cases of vaccine-
derived polio detected in DRC
12 January - In an advance notification the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) said
there are five new cases of vaccine-derived polio from the Democratic Republic of the
Congo (DRC) hellip These are the first cases reported from the DRC in 2018 but illness onset
dates havent yet been recorded For 2017 there were 12 cases of circulating vaccine-
derived poliovirus type 2 (cVDPV2) in the DRC and 74 reported in Syria hellip In other polio
news Science published an article today describing the increasing number of polio
16
environmental samples found in Pakistan despite the dwindling number of human cases
The authors said the increasing samples could be sign that polio is on its last legs in that
country before eradication CIDRAP News Scan (fourth item)
top of page
Namibia Hepatitis E
15 January - During the week ending on 13 October 2017 the first identified case was
admitted to a public hospital in Windhoek district with signs and symptoms of hepatitis E
During the week ending on 8 January 2018 a total of 237 probable and confirmed cases
have been seen at various health facilities in Windhoek district with the same signs and
symptoms All suspected patients tested negative for hepatitis A B and C A total of 41 of
the 237 cases were sent for further testing and on 8 January 2018 the results showed 21
were IgM positive for hepatitis E WHO
top of page
Nigeria 3 die from Lassa fever in Ebonyi State
16 January - Four cases of Lassa fever were reported among health care workers in Ebonyi
State in southeastern Nigeria with three passing away from the lethal viral disease
the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) said The Honorable Minister of Health
Professor Isaac Adewole immediately requested that NCDC provides support to the
Government of Ebonyi State to investigate and respond to this cluster of cases
Outbreak News Today
top of page
South Africa Cape Town slashes water use amid drought
18 January - The South African city of Cape Town will slash residents water allowance to 50
litres a day from next month amid fears that it could become the worlds first major city to
run out of water The city had reached a point of no return Mayor Patricia de Lille said
Cape Town a popular tourist destination has been hit by its worst drought in a century Ms
De Lille warned that the city risked reaching Day Zero on 21 April when taps in homes
could run dry We can no longer ask people to stop wasting water We must force them
she said at a press conference Despite our urging for months 60 of Capetonians are
callously using more than 87 litres per day she added referring to the current daily limit A
person uses about 15 litres per minute for a typical shower and the same amount when
flushing a standard toilet according to WaterWise a South African water usage awareness
campaign BBC News
top of page
South Sudan Rift Valley fever suspected in South Sudan
VHF cluster 2 cases reported
16 January - Preliminary indications into South Sudans recent viral hemorrhagic fever
outbreak suggest that Rift Valley fever (RVF) may be the cause the World Health
17
Organization (WHO) Regional Office for Africa said in its latest outbreak and health
emergencies update The initial cluster included three patients from the same area of
Eastern Lakes state who had similar symptoms and died from their infections in December
hellip [T]wo more suspected human cases have been reported and involve an 18-year-old
pregnant woman who is a contact of a patient in the initial cluster and a 14-year-old girl
from a neighboring village who had no epidemiologic links to the original three cluster
patients State and national task forces have been activated The WHO said surveillance in
humans and animals needs to be strengthened in the area while efforts continue to confirm
the cause of the outbreak CIDRAP New Scan (first item)
top of page
Uganda Doctors in Uganda warn crisis level blood
shortage is putting lives at risk
16 January - Uganda is grappling with a critical shortage of blood that is affecting services
and putting patientsrsquo lives at risk The health ministryrsquos blood bank facility in the capital
Kampala which stores and distributes supplies to hospitals is practically empty It has just
150 units of blood remaining not enough to meet requirements on an average day in the
city Nationally Uganda needs at least 340000 units of safe blood annually but usually only
collects 200000 a year A six-day countrywide blood collection drive was launched by the
ministry on Monday The Uganda Medical Association an umbrella organisation of doctors
in public health facilities said the shortage was ldquoalmost [at] crisis levelrdquo resulting in the
cancellation of hospital operations and prioritisation of cases The Guardian
top of page
United Republic of Tanzania Cholera
12 January - From 15 August 2015 through 7 January 2018 33421 cases including 542
deaths (case fatality rate = 162) have been reported across all 26 regions of the United
Republic of Tanzania (Tanzania mainland and Zanzibar) Tanzania mainland has reported
86 of the total cases in this outbreak Children under five years old accounted for 114 of
cases Since the beginning of the outbreak over 7000 specimens have been tested for
cholera and 47 were positive for Vibrio cholerae by culture From 1 January 2017 through
31 December 4985 cases including 99 deaths have been reported in Tanzania Mainland
and Zanzibar The number of cases as well as geographical spread of cholera has markedly
reduced compared to the two previous years WHO
top of page
Zambia Zambia relaxes restrictions as cholera outbreak
slows
14 January - Zambia on Sunday relaxed rules imposed to curb the spread of cholera as the
number of new cases being reported has halved Health Minister Chitalu Chilufya said
Schools and some markets will be allowed to re-open Chilufya told a news conference in
Lusaka Police arrested 55 people in the capital on Friday after residents rioted over a curfew
18
and ban on street vending The outbreak has killed 74 people since Oct 4 including 68 in
Lusaka Chilufya said The number of new cases has fallen to around 80 from 164 a week
ago Of the more than 3200 cases reported in total more than 3000 have been in Lusaka
All government and private schools will re-open on Jan 22 but Zambiarsquos two largest public
universities will remain closed for now President Edgar Lungu last month directed the
military to clean markets and unblock drains to help to fight the spread of the waterborne
disease Reuters
top of page
USCENTCOM
Yemen UN hopes imports will help stave off famine in
Yemen as diphtheria spreads
16 January - United Nations aid agencies called on Tuesday for the Yemeni port of
Hodeidah to remain open beyond Friday the date set by a Saudi-led military coalition to
permit continued delivery of life-saving goods Yemen is the worldrsquos worst humanitarian
crisis where 83 million people are entirely dependent on external food aid and 400000
children suffer from severe acute malnutrition a potentially lethal condition they said hellip
More than 11 million Yemeni children - virtually all - need humanitarian assistance Relano
said UNICEF figures show 25000 Yemeni babies die at birth or before the age of one
month hellip A diphtheria outbreak in Yemen is ldquospreading quicklyrdquo with 678 cases and 48
associated deaths in four months Fadela Chaib of the World Health Organisation said
Reuters
top of page
USEUCOM
Ukraine Ukraine conflict has increased spread of HIV in
silent epidemic
16 January - The conflict in eastern Ukraine has increased the
spread of HIV throughout the country as people have been
uprooted by the violence a new study finds hellip Ukraine has
among the highest HIV rates in Europe with an estimated
220000 infected in a country of about 45 million hellip The study
says the HIV crisis in Ukraine has become a silent epidemic because half of HIV-infected
people are unaware they have the infection and around 40 percent of newly diagnosed
people are in the later stages of the disease hellip [A]n international team of scientists hellip
analyzed viral migration patterns in Ukraine from 2012 to 2015 They found a correlation
between the movement of 17 million people uprooted by the war and the spread of HIV
19
hellip The HIV epidemic has shifted from being associated with drug injections in the 1990s to
most new infections now being spread by sexual transmission the study found
Radio Free EuropeRadio Liberty
top of page
United Kingdom Britain appoints minister for loneliness
amid growing isolation
17 January - Britain has appointed a minister for loneliness to take forward the work of
murdered lawmaker Jo Cox and tackle the isolation felt by more than one in ten people in
the UK Sports minister Tracey Crouch will take on the new role [to] develop a strategy to
address the problem which research has linked with dementia early mortality and high
blood pressure hellip The majority of people over 75 live alone and about 200000 older people
in the UK have not had a conversation with a friend or relative in more than a month
according to government data Most doctors in Britain see between one and five patients a
day who have come mainly because they are lonely according to the Campaign to End
Loneliness Reuters
top of page
United Kingdom Measles outbreak spreading across
England warn health officials
16 January - Public health experts are urging parents to immunise their children against
measles as the potentially deadly bug has now spread to five regions in England With more
than 100 cases confirmed Public Health England warns that the UK could be on the verge
of an outbreak due to a rise in cases across Europe People who have recently visited
Romania Italy and Germany and have not been fully immunised against measles via the
MMR vaccine may be most at risk they said hellip However not all cases are being spread by
those who have visited countries included in the European outbreak a spokesperson for
Public Health England told The Independent We know that measles cases are showing a
link to importation from Europe where there are ongoing outbreaks but the cases are also
spreading within the UK in under-vaccinated communities they explained
The Independent
top of page
United Kingdom UK drugs regulator plays down Brexit
disruption threat
16 January - Britainrsquos drugs regulator said on Tuesday it would work to minimise disruption
caused by the country leaving the European Union as it tried to allay some of the worst
fears of pharmaceutical companies The highly regulated drugs industry is concerned about
Brexit fallout as the European Medicines Agency (EMA) relocates from London to
Amsterdam creating uncertainty about drug approvals after 2019 The Medicines and
Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) said in an update on its website that it
20
hoped to have a continuing relationship with the EMA after Brexit but if this did not happen
it would be ldquopragmaticrdquo in setting UK drug rules hellip The agency also noted that London and
Brussels agreed last month that ldquogoods placed on the market under Union law before the
withdrawal date may freely circulate on the markets of the UK and the Union with no need
for product modifications or re-labellingrdquo The Association of the British Pharmaceutical
Industry hellip warned that planning for a scenario where Britain had a separate regulatory
system required further detail Reuters
top of page
USNORTHCOM
US FDA expects IV fluid shortage to improve in coming
weeks months
16 January - The US Food and Drug Administration said on Tuesday it expects a shortage
of intravenous saline fluids for hospitals due to damage to key manufacturing facilities in
Puerto Rico to improve over the coming weeks and months FDA Commissioner Scott
Gottlieb said that the FDA has approved IV saline products from more companies which is
expected to boost US supply He said the tight supply of saline products had been
exacerbated by increased demand as a result of a worse-than-normal flu season At the
same time Gottlieb said the agency is concerned about a potential shortage of IV
containers as demand for empty IV containers increases as an alternative to filled bags
Reuters
top of page
US Mapping how the opioid epidemic sparked an HIV
outbreak
14 January - When people started to show up to Dr William Cookes primary care office in
Austin Ind in 2014 with HIV Cooke knew it was probably related to the regions opioid
epidemic But what he and the rest of the public health community didnt know was who
they were missing or how long the HIV outbreak had been going on Now theyve got a
clearer picture mdash literally In visualizations published in the Journal of Infectious Diseases
dots and lines define the constellations of Indianas HIV outbreak Using genetic
sequencing they show how long the outbreak had been going on connected people who
hadnt previously been linked by traditional methods and showed how the virus jumped
from a slowly spreading infection to a virus transmitted quickly via needle sharing and
other smaller sub-epidemics NPR
top of page
21
US More $$ needed for health emergencies senators
told 17 January - The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) needs more funding to
effectively prepare for public health emergencies an HHS official said at a Senate hearing
Wednesday We cant do more things with limited resources Robert Kadlec MD HHS
assistant secretary for preparedness and response told members of the Senate Health
Education Labor amp Pensions (HELP) Committee hellip We have a $33 trillion healthcare
system of which we invest $250 million for preparedness Its just a drop in the bucket
The hearing focused on the pending reauthorization of the Pandemic and All-Hazards
Preparedness Act (PAHPA) a 2006 law that established Kadlecs position at HHS and
implemented several programs aimed at getting the nation ready for emergencies such as
developing and acquiring drugs and vaccines to be used when needed MedPage Today
top of page
US National Academies report endorses lower BAC
higher alcohol taxes 18 January - Getting to Zero Alcohol-Impaired Driving Fatalities a new report from the
National Academies of Sciences Engineering and Medicine recommends reducing state
laws criminalizing alcohol-impaired driving from 008 to 005 percent blood alcohol
concentration (BAC) increasing alcohol taxes significantly and other actions to address the
persistent problem of alcohol-impaired driving deaths There are more than 10000 alcohol-
impaired driving fatalities annually in the United States and the report says stakeholders
that range from transportation systems to alcohol retailers to law enforcement should join
forces to implement policies and systems to eliminate these preventable deaths The
committee that conducted the study and wrote the report recommended a number of
actions lowering state laws on BAC raising alcohol taxes significantly strengthening policies
to prevent illegal alcohol sales to people under 21 and to already intoxicated adults
enacting all-offender ignition interlock laws and providing effective treatment for offenders
when needed Occupational Health and Safety
top of page
US NIH study shows steep increase in rate of alcohol-
related ER visits 12 January - The rate of alcohol-related visits to US emergency departments (ED) increased
by nearly 50 percent between 2006 and 2014 especially among females and drinkers who
are middle-aged or older according to a new study conducted by researchers at the
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) part of the National Institutes
of Health hellip These increases far outpaced changes in the number and rate of ED visits for
any cause during the years studied hellip Although men account for more alcohol-related ED
visits than women the rate of such visits increased more among females than males (53
percent versus 40 percent annually) over the study period NIH
top of page
22
US Number of Americans without health insurance
grows in Trumps first year new figures show 16 January - The number of Americans without health coverage which declined for years
after passage of the Affordable Care Act shot up in President Trumprsquos first year in office
according to data from a new national survey At the end of 2017 122 of US adults
lacked health insurance up from 109 at the end of 2016 as President Obama was
completing his final term The increase of 13 percentage points although modest marks
the first time since at least 2008 that the share of adults without insurance increased from
the previous year hellip The increase indicates that 32 million Americans lost health coverage
in 2017 Gallup concluded Los Angeles Times
top of page
US The Big Number 3500 infants die of sleep-related
issues 13 January - Thatrsquos the number of babies in the United States who die each year as the
result of a sleep-related issue according to a new report from the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention The causes vary but child health experts believe many of the
deaths would be preventable if more parents adhered to safe-sleep practices For instance
babies should be placed on their backs to sleep but the CDC found that 22 percent of
moms placed babies on their side or stomach Soft bedding mdash blankets pillows bumper
pads mdash should be kept out of the sleep area but 39 percent of moms said they used soft
bedding And itrsquos a good idea to share a room with an infant but not a bed with a baby Still
61 percent of moms told the CDC they had slept with their babies The Washington Post
top of page
US US faces oversupply of antibiotic-free chicken -
Sanderson Farms 16 January - Supplies of chicken raised without antibiotics are outstripping demand a major
US poultry producer said on Tuesday a sign of overproduction that could eat into
processorsrsquo profits Large chicken and restaurant companies including Tyson Foods Inc and
McDonaldrsquos Corp have raced to cut antibiotics from poultry supplies as public health
experts have warned about the link between use of the drugs in farms and the rise of drug-
resistant bacteria Antibiotic-free chickens made up an average of 405 percent of all fresh
US production for the first 10 months of 2017 Sanderson Farms Inc said in a regulatory
filing However only 64 percent of sales were for products sold as antibiotic-free (ABF)
according to Sanderson the third-largest US poultry producer Reuters
top of page
US US government to shield health workers under
religious freedom 18 January - The US government is seeking to further protect the ldquoconscience and religious
23
freedomrdquo of health workers whose beliefs prevent them from carrying out abortions and
other procedures in an effort likely to please conservative Christian activists and other
supporters of President Donald Trump The US Department of Health and Human Services
said on Thursday it will create a division within its Office of Civil Rights to give it ldquothe focus it
needs to more vigorously and effectively enforce existing laws protecting the rights of
conscience and religious freedomrdquo Healthcare workers hospitals with religious affiliations
and medical students among others have been ldquobulliedrdquo by the federal government to
provide these services despite existing laws on religious and conscience rights the top HHS
official said Reuters
top of page
USPACOM
Bangladesh Cold wave
12 January - Severe cold wave is sweeping over Bangladesh It was recorded the lowest in
Bangladeshrsquos history at 26 degrees yesterday in Tetulia Rangpur division hellip According to
the MET office the cold wave is likely to continue till January 14 and one or two more cold
waves are expected later this month hellip The cold wave has disrupted the lives of many in
northern Bangladesh Poor people particularly the farmers and rickshaw-pullers have been
affected badly Children and elderly people are the worst affected Twenty-seven (27)
persons have been reported dead ReliefWeb
top of page
Indonesia Indonesia sends military to help fight health
crisis in Papua
17 January - Indonesia is deploying military paramedics to carry food and vaccines to a
remote part of its easternmost province of Papua where reports say at least 61 infants died
from malnutrition and diseases such as measles hellip The situation in the remote Asmat
regency was an ldquoextraordinary incidentrdquo the health ministry said in a statement adding that
it was sending 39 health workers there The Indonesian military has sent 53 personnel
including paramedics besides medical equipment vaccines and 11100 packages of instant
food it added hellip ldquoThere is a link between the malnutrition and (catching) other diseasesrdquo
[Health Minister Nila] Moeloek added ldquoIf yoursquore undernourished you will get those
diseasesrdquo Reuters
top of page
Philippines Sanofi will reimburse Philippines
government for unused Dengvaxia
16 January - Yesterday Sanofi Pasteur the French pharmaceutical giant announced it will
reimburse the Philippines government for unused doses of Dengvaxia its controversial
24
dengue vaccine The announcement comes weeks after the company recommended the
vaccine not be used in people without prior dengue infections as it may prime dengue-
naive recipients for more severe infections More than 800000 Filipino children had already
received Dengvaxia when the recommendation was made Sanofi Pasteur has responded
positively to the Philippine Department of Healths (DoH) request that we provide
reimbursement for the doses of Dengvaxia that were not used by the government in the
public vaccination program the company said CIDRAP News Scan (third item)
top of page
USSOUTHCOM
Brazil WHO recommends yellow fever shot to Sao Paulo
visitors
16 January - The World Health Organization said on Tuesday that the whole of Sao Paulo
state which includes Brazilrsquos largest city Sao Paulo should be considered at risk for yellow
fever and recommended foreign travelers get vaccinated before visiting But Brazilrsquos Health
Ministry said the WHO recommendation coming just weeks before Carnival when tens of
thousands of tourists descend on Brazil would not cause it to change its advisory that only
travelers going to rural areas need to get vaccinated Deputy Health Minister Antonio Carlos
Nardi said Carnival celebrations in February were in urban areas and that visitors would not
be at risk if they stayed in cities Nardi said the number of cases had risen again this year
but that there was no outbreak of yellow fever in the country Reuters
top of page
25
US Military | Global | Influenza | VeterinaryFood Safety | Wellness | Contact Us
USAFRICOM | USCENTCOM | USEUCOM | USNORTHCOM | USPACOM | USSOUTHCOM
The Army Public Health Weekly Update does not analyze the information as to its strategic or tactical impact on the US Army and is not a medical
intelligence product Medical intelligence is available from the National Center for Medical Intelligence
External Links The appearance of external hyperlinks does not constitute endorsement by the US Army of this Web site or the information products
or services contained therein For other than authorized activities such as military exchanges and MWR sites the US Army does not exercise any
editorial control over the information you may find at these locations Such links are provided consistent with the stated purpose of this product
Although we avoid links to sites that may be blocked all sites may not be accessible from all locations While we verify the links at the time of
publication we cannot guarantee that they will be active in the future
Articles appearing in the Update do not necessarily represent US Army Medical Command opinionsviews policy or guidance and should not be
construed or interpreted as being endorsed by the US Army Medical Command
The Army Public Health Weekly Update is published by the Public Health Information Directorate Army Public Health Center
10
For CDC reducing flu spread takes priority over nuclear
attack preparedness
15 January - The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention changed the topic of a nuclear
strike preparedness session opting to focus on a widespread flu outbreak The Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention has postponed a planned Tuesday session on nuclear attack
preparedness deciding instead to focus the workshop on influenza The agency announced
the switch in topics late Friday citing the spike in flu cases as the reason for the pivot To
date this influenza season is notable for the sheer volume of flu that most of the United
States is seeing at the same time which can stress health systems according to a CDC
statement The vast majority of this activity has been caused by influenza A H3N2
associated with severe illness in young children and people 65 years and older NPR
top of page
NHRC Operational Infectious Diseases - Weekly
Surveillance Report
11 January - Febrile respiratory illness cases
Military Recruits - 24 positive of 33 tested
CDC Border Infectious Disease Surveillance and Zika Surveillance - 122 positive of
157 tested
DoD Beneficiaries ndash 12 positive of 21 tested Naval Health Research Center
top of page
lsquoSmart thermometersrsquo track flu season in real time
16 January ndash A company making ldquosmart thermometersrdquo that upload body temperatures to
its website claims to be tracking this yearrsquos flu season faster and in greater geographic detail
than public health authorities can This yearrsquos flu season mdash which the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention considers ldquomoderately severerdquo mdash has left Missouri and Iowa the
ldquosickest states in the countryrdquo said Inder Singh the founder of Kinsahealthcom California
has had its worst outbreak in five years with nearly 1 percent of the state exhibiting flu
symptoms on Jan 2 he added By contrast New York New England and the Southeast have
had relatively mild seasons so far but cases are rising and should peak in two weeks Mr
Singhrsquos data paints a different picture from that of the CDC which held a news conference
Friday to announce that flu activity was ldquowidespreadrdquo across the continental United States
which is unusual The New York Times
top of page
Study reveals more H1N1 deaths in those exposed to 57
pandemic
17 January - hellip [Researchers have] found more evidence that exposure to a pandemic strain
can make people more susceptible to the next pandemic strainmdashif the viruses are greatly
11
different from each other hellip For the 2009 H1N1 pandemic season the investigators found
peaks in death rates in people from [United States and Mexico] who were 52 years old
corresponding with a birth year of 1957 when the H2N2 Asian flu pandemic occurred The
team said the vulnerability that they and others have noted in subsequent pandemics marks
an unappreciated risk factor and has all the markings of a cohort effect showing the value
of studying flu deaths by individual birth year instead of very large age-groups The findings
suggest that increased pandemic deaths in people primed in early life by viruses that have
little to no antigenic overlap with new pandemic or seasonal viruses might result in
responses that increase the pathogenicity of the disease possibly compromising lung
function the group wrote CIDRAP
top of page
USAFSAM amp DHA DoD Global Laboratory-Based
Influenza Surveillance Program During 17 - 30 December 2017 (Surveillance Weeks 51 amp 52) a total of 434 specimens were
collected and received from 58 locations Results were finalized for 396 specimens from 57
locations During Week 51 there were 115 influenza viruses detected 88 influenza A(H3N2)
(including two coinfections) 11 influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 and 16 influenza B (including two
coinfections) During Week 51 the influenza percent positive was approximately 38
During Week 52 there were 44 influenza viruses detected 35 influenza A(H3N2) (including
two coinfections) two influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 (including one coinfection) and seven
influenza B viruses (including one coinfection) The influenza percent positive was
approximately 49 during Week 52 The influenza percent positive for the season is 17
US Air Force School of Aerospace Medicine amp Defense Health Agency
top of page
VETERINARYFOOD SAFETY
Dozens of brands of ice cream bars now on recall for
Listeria 14 January - A Listeria-related ice cream bar recall that started Jan 5 with less than 400
cases of frozen treats now includes additional flavors and brands totaling close to 29000
cases sent to more than 35 retail chains across the country No illnesses have been
confirmed in connection with the ice cream products However finished samples tested
positive for Listeria monocytogenes before the initial recall and more samples have tested
positive since then spurring Fieldbrook Foods Corp to broaden its recall hellip Officials are
concerned that consumers and entities along the food supply chain may still have the
recalled ice cream treats in their freezers hellip ldquoThere is no evidence of any contamination
prior to Oct 31 2017 but the company has issued the recall back to Jan 1 2017 through
an abundance of caution and in full cooperation with the FDA (Food and Drug
Administration)rdquo according to the recall notice posted on the FDA website
Food Safety News
top of page
12
French police search Lactalis sites after baby milk scare
17 January -French police were searching several sites belonging to dairy producer Lactalis
on Wednesday following a salmonella contamination scare that prompted a global recall of
several baby food products a source at the Paris prosecutorrsquos office said The scandal
deepened this month when it emerged some of the recalled baby foods had still made their
way onto shop shelves in a number of supermarket chains The Paris prosecutor opened a
preliminary probe into the salmonella contamination scare in late December Reuters
top of page
Fugu freakout Dont eat the blowfish Japanese officials
warn
16 January - Officials in the central Japanese city of Gamagori
are warning residents not to eat blowfish purchased from a
local supermarket after potentially deadly parts of the fish were
inadvertently sold The market sold five packages of fish
without removing their livers which can contain a potent
neurotoxin Three of the packages of fish have been recovered
by authorities but two others remain at large hellip Eating fugu liver can paralyze motor
nerves and in a serious case cause respiratory arrest leading to death regional officials
said in a warning statement Blowfish known in Japan as fugu is a highly prized delicacy
both as sashimi or as an ingredient in soup but the fishs liver ovaries and skin contain the
poison tetrodotoxin and the parts must be removed by specially trained and licensed
preparers There is no known antidote to the poison NPR
top of page
Multistate outbreak of Salmonella infections linked to
coconut tree brand frozen shredded coconut
16 January - CDC public health and regulatory officials in several states and the US Food
and Drug Administration (FDA) are investigating a multistate outbreak of Salmonella
infections hellip As of January 12 2018 25 people infected with the outbreak strains of
Salmonella I 4[5]12b- (24 people) or Salmonella Newport (1 person) have been reported
from 9 states One more ill person infected with the outbreak strain of Salmonella I
4[5]12b- has been reported from Canada hellip Illnesses started on dates ranging from May
11 2017 to November 4 2017 Ill people range in age from 1 year to 82 with a median age
of 19 Among ill people 19 (76) are male Six people (24) report being hospitalized No
deaths have been reported hellip The frozen shredded coconut linked to this outbreak was
used as an ingredient in Asian-style dessert drinks served at restaurants The product was
also sold in grocery stores and markets in several states Frozen shredded coconut can last
for several months if kept frozen and may still be in retail stores or in peoplersquos homes CDC
top of page
13
Pets Raw meat diets pose a risk to both animal and
human health
12 January - Experts are warning dog and cat owners to be
aware of the risks associated with feeding their pets raw meat-
based diets (RMBDs) instead of the more conventional dry or
canned pet foods hellip Of most concern however is the risk to
public or animal health due to contamination of RMBDs with
zoonotic bacteria and parasites that can pass between animals and humans hellip [A] team of
researchers based in The Netherlands say these diets may be contaminated with bacteria
and parasites and as such may pose a risk to both animal and human health hellip They
analysed 35 commercial frozen RMBDs from eight different brands widely available in The
Netherlands Escherichia coli O157 was isolated from eight products (23) Listeria species
were present in 15 products (43) and Salmonella species in seven products (20) Both E
coli O157 and Salmonella infections in humans have been linked with serious illnesses
Outbreak News Today
top of page
South Africa More Listeriosis cases and deaths Whatrsquos
being done
18 January - In just a matter of a few days the Listeriosis outbreak described as the ldquolargest
documented listeriosis outbreak South Africa has ever experiencedrdquo has grown by 19 cases
with a new outbreak total of 767 laboratory-confirmed listeriosis cases as of Jan 16 The
National Institute of Communicable Diseases (NICD) now puts the death toll at 81 hellip At
present the source of the outbreak is not known hellip The National Department of Health is hellip
interviewing all persons who have been diagnosed with Listeria to understand what food
they have eaten and identify trends Outbreak News Today
top of page
The parasite on the playground
16 January - Millions of American children have been
exposed to hellip parasites roundworms of the genus Toxocara
live in the intestines of cats and dogs especially strays
Microscopic eggs from Toxocara are shed in the animalsrsquo
feces contaminating yards playgrounds and sandboxes
These infectious particles cling to the hands of children
playing outside Once swallowed the eggs soon hatch releasing larvae that wriggle through
the body and evidence suggests may even reach the brain compromising learning and
cognition hellip The latest [CDC] report hellip estimated that about 5 percent of the United States
population mdash or about 16 million people mdash carry Toxocara antibodies in their blood a sign
they have ingested the eggs But the risk is not evenly shared Poor and minority
populations are more often exposed The rate among African Americans was almost 7
14
percent according to the CDC Among people living below the poverty line the infection
rate was 10 percent The New York Times
top of page
WELLNESS
Current cigarette smoking among adults mdash United States
2016
19 January - hellip The proportion of US adults who smoke cigarettes declined from 209 in
2005 (451 million smokers) to 155 in 2016 (378 million smokers) but cigarette smoking
prevalence did not change significantly during 2015ndash2016 Sociodemographic disparities in
cigarette smoking persist During 2005ndash2016 increases occurred in the proportion of adult
ever smokers who quit smoking (508 to 590) Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report
top of page
Cycling does not harm mens sexual health study says
12 January - Cycling does not negatively affect mens
sexual health or urinary function a study has found
Researchers compared cyclists with runners and
swimmers and found their sexual and urinary health was
comparable The findings contrasted with previous
studies that suggested cycling could negatively affect mens sexual function the studys
authors said They said the benefits to cycling far outweigh the risks hellip Sexual health and
urinary function were comparable in all three groups researchers said although some
cyclists were more prone to urethral strictures - a narrowing of the urethra hellip The cyclists
did have statistically significant higher odds of genital numbness the study found
BBC News
top of page
Obesity shaved almost a year off US life expectancy
study says
16 January - Rising obesity rates in the US may be responsible for as many as 186000
deaths per year according to a new analysis The US has seen only relatively modest
improvements in mortality rates over the past couple decades despite public health
victories including major reductions in smoking Death rates tied to cardiovascular disease
cancer and other chronic illnesses for example declined more slowly in the US than in any
of 13 similarly developed nations between 1999 and 2015 Researchers hellip thought rising
obesity rates might have something to do with it so they pored over two subsequent
editions of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Study (NHANES) and the
associated death records Increases in obesity according to the paper slowed gains in
15
mortality rates by 054 between 1988 and 2011 shaving an estimated 09 years off the
national life expectancy at age 40 and resulting in as many as 186000 additional deaths in
2011 alone Time
top of page
Researchers probe stomach surgeryrsquos lsquomiraclersquo secrets
17 January - Nima Saeidi an assistant professor of surgery at Harvard Medical School and
Massachusetts General Hospital and a member of the Center for Engineering in Medicine
had started down one career path when a lecture on Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery
redirected him The MGH lecture outlined not just the procedurersquos striking effectiveness for
weight loss hellip but also its promise against diabetes high blood pressure cholesterol and
fatty-food cravings hellip The idea of a compound that mimics the positives of Roux-en-Y is
particularly enticing amid twin national epidemics of obesity and diabetes The surgery
has been shown to affect insulin sensitivity and production of the hunger hormones ghrelin
and leptin It also alters the composition of a patientrsquos microbiome hellip Saeidi and colleagues
have turned to new rodent models spectroscopic instruments and novel informatics
techniques that shift inquiry from a traditional hypothesis-based step-by-step exploration
to one that seeks to reverse-engineer the problem by searching broadly for postoperative
chemical changes in the body and then working to understand them Harvard Gazette
top of page
Wal-Mart launches program to safely dispose of unused
opioids
17 January - The company said patients filling any new class II opioid prescriptions at its
pharmacies will receive a free packet of the product - called DisposeRx - when filling a new
prescription hellip People filling prescriptions at Samrsquos Club can also get DisposeRx at their
pharmacies In order to safely dispose of opioids patients would add warm water and the
DisposeRx powder to their pill bottle which then forms a biodegradable gel around the
pills Reuters
top of page
USAFRICOM
Democratic Republic of the Congo Five cases of vaccine-
derived polio detected in DRC
12 January - In an advance notification the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) said
there are five new cases of vaccine-derived polio from the Democratic Republic of the
Congo (DRC) hellip These are the first cases reported from the DRC in 2018 but illness onset
dates havent yet been recorded For 2017 there were 12 cases of circulating vaccine-
derived poliovirus type 2 (cVDPV2) in the DRC and 74 reported in Syria hellip In other polio
news Science published an article today describing the increasing number of polio
16
environmental samples found in Pakistan despite the dwindling number of human cases
The authors said the increasing samples could be sign that polio is on its last legs in that
country before eradication CIDRAP News Scan (fourth item)
top of page
Namibia Hepatitis E
15 January - During the week ending on 13 October 2017 the first identified case was
admitted to a public hospital in Windhoek district with signs and symptoms of hepatitis E
During the week ending on 8 January 2018 a total of 237 probable and confirmed cases
have been seen at various health facilities in Windhoek district with the same signs and
symptoms All suspected patients tested negative for hepatitis A B and C A total of 41 of
the 237 cases were sent for further testing and on 8 January 2018 the results showed 21
were IgM positive for hepatitis E WHO
top of page
Nigeria 3 die from Lassa fever in Ebonyi State
16 January - Four cases of Lassa fever were reported among health care workers in Ebonyi
State in southeastern Nigeria with three passing away from the lethal viral disease
the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) said The Honorable Minister of Health
Professor Isaac Adewole immediately requested that NCDC provides support to the
Government of Ebonyi State to investigate and respond to this cluster of cases
Outbreak News Today
top of page
South Africa Cape Town slashes water use amid drought
18 January - The South African city of Cape Town will slash residents water allowance to 50
litres a day from next month amid fears that it could become the worlds first major city to
run out of water The city had reached a point of no return Mayor Patricia de Lille said
Cape Town a popular tourist destination has been hit by its worst drought in a century Ms
De Lille warned that the city risked reaching Day Zero on 21 April when taps in homes
could run dry We can no longer ask people to stop wasting water We must force them
she said at a press conference Despite our urging for months 60 of Capetonians are
callously using more than 87 litres per day she added referring to the current daily limit A
person uses about 15 litres per minute for a typical shower and the same amount when
flushing a standard toilet according to WaterWise a South African water usage awareness
campaign BBC News
top of page
South Sudan Rift Valley fever suspected in South Sudan
VHF cluster 2 cases reported
16 January - Preliminary indications into South Sudans recent viral hemorrhagic fever
outbreak suggest that Rift Valley fever (RVF) may be the cause the World Health
17
Organization (WHO) Regional Office for Africa said in its latest outbreak and health
emergencies update The initial cluster included three patients from the same area of
Eastern Lakes state who had similar symptoms and died from their infections in December
hellip [T]wo more suspected human cases have been reported and involve an 18-year-old
pregnant woman who is a contact of a patient in the initial cluster and a 14-year-old girl
from a neighboring village who had no epidemiologic links to the original three cluster
patients State and national task forces have been activated The WHO said surveillance in
humans and animals needs to be strengthened in the area while efforts continue to confirm
the cause of the outbreak CIDRAP New Scan (first item)
top of page
Uganda Doctors in Uganda warn crisis level blood
shortage is putting lives at risk
16 January - Uganda is grappling with a critical shortage of blood that is affecting services
and putting patientsrsquo lives at risk The health ministryrsquos blood bank facility in the capital
Kampala which stores and distributes supplies to hospitals is practically empty It has just
150 units of blood remaining not enough to meet requirements on an average day in the
city Nationally Uganda needs at least 340000 units of safe blood annually but usually only
collects 200000 a year A six-day countrywide blood collection drive was launched by the
ministry on Monday The Uganda Medical Association an umbrella organisation of doctors
in public health facilities said the shortage was ldquoalmost [at] crisis levelrdquo resulting in the
cancellation of hospital operations and prioritisation of cases The Guardian
top of page
United Republic of Tanzania Cholera
12 January - From 15 August 2015 through 7 January 2018 33421 cases including 542
deaths (case fatality rate = 162) have been reported across all 26 regions of the United
Republic of Tanzania (Tanzania mainland and Zanzibar) Tanzania mainland has reported
86 of the total cases in this outbreak Children under five years old accounted for 114 of
cases Since the beginning of the outbreak over 7000 specimens have been tested for
cholera and 47 were positive for Vibrio cholerae by culture From 1 January 2017 through
31 December 4985 cases including 99 deaths have been reported in Tanzania Mainland
and Zanzibar The number of cases as well as geographical spread of cholera has markedly
reduced compared to the two previous years WHO
top of page
Zambia Zambia relaxes restrictions as cholera outbreak
slows
14 January - Zambia on Sunday relaxed rules imposed to curb the spread of cholera as the
number of new cases being reported has halved Health Minister Chitalu Chilufya said
Schools and some markets will be allowed to re-open Chilufya told a news conference in
Lusaka Police arrested 55 people in the capital on Friday after residents rioted over a curfew
18
and ban on street vending The outbreak has killed 74 people since Oct 4 including 68 in
Lusaka Chilufya said The number of new cases has fallen to around 80 from 164 a week
ago Of the more than 3200 cases reported in total more than 3000 have been in Lusaka
All government and private schools will re-open on Jan 22 but Zambiarsquos two largest public
universities will remain closed for now President Edgar Lungu last month directed the
military to clean markets and unblock drains to help to fight the spread of the waterborne
disease Reuters
top of page
USCENTCOM
Yemen UN hopes imports will help stave off famine in
Yemen as diphtheria spreads
16 January - United Nations aid agencies called on Tuesday for the Yemeni port of
Hodeidah to remain open beyond Friday the date set by a Saudi-led military coalition to
permit continued delivery of life-saving goods Yemen is the worldrsquos worst humanitarian
crisis where 83 million people are entirely dependent on external food aid and 400000
children suffer from severe acute malnutrition a potentially lethal condition they said hellip
More than 11 million Yemeni children - virtually all - need humanitarian assistance Relano
said UNICEF figures show 25000 Yemeni babies die at birth or before the age of one
month hellip A diphtheria outbreak in Yemen is ldquospreading quicklyrdquo with 678 cases and 48
associated deaths in four months Fadela Chaib of the World Health Organisation said
Reuters
top of page
USEUCOM
Ukraine Ukraine conflict has increased spread of HIV in
silent epidemic
16 January - The conflict in eastern Ukraine has increased the
spread of HIV throughout the country as people have been
uprooted by the violence a new study finds hellip Ukraine has
among the highest HIV rates in Europe with an estimated
220000 infected in a country of about 45 million hellip The study
says the HIV crisis in Ukraine has become a silent epidemic because half of HIV-infected
people are unaware they have the infection and around 40 percent of newly diagnosed
people are in the later stages of the disease hellip [A]n international team of scientists hellip
analyzed viral migration patterns in Ukraine from 2012 to 2015 They found a correlation
between the movement of 17 million people uprooted by the war and the spread of HIV
19
hellip The HIV epidemic has shifted from being associated with drug injections in the 1990s to
most new infections now being spread by sexual transmission the study found
Radio Free EuropeRadio Liberty
top of page
United Kingdom Britain appoints minister for loneliness
amid growing isolation
17 January - Britain has appointed a minister for loneliness to take forward the work of
murdered lawmaker Jo Cox and tackle the isolation felt by more than one in ten people in
the UK Sports minister Tracey Crouch will take on the new role [to] develop a strategy to
address the problem which research has linked with dementia early mortality and high
blood pressure hellip The majority of people over 75 live alone and about 200000 older people
in the UK have not had a conversation with a friend or relative in more than a month
according to government data Most doctors in Britain see between one and five patients a
day who have come mainly because they are lonely according to the Campaign to End
Loneliness Reuters
top of page
United Kingdom Measles outbreak spreading across
England warn health officials
16 January - Public health experts are urging parents to immunise their children against
measles as the potentially deadly bug has now spread to five regions in England With more
than 100 cases confirmed Public Health England warns that the UK could be on the verge
of an outbreak due to a rise in cases across Europe People who have recently visited
Romania Italy and Germany and have not been fully immunised against measles via the
MMR vaccine may be most at risk they said hellip However not all cases are being spread by
those who have visited countries included in the European outbreak a spokesperson for
Public Health England told The Independent We know that measles cases are showing a
link to importation from Europe where there are ongoing outbreaks but the cases are also
spreading within the UK in under-vaccinated communities they explained
The Independent
top of page
United Kingdom UK drugs regulator plays down Brexit
disruption threat
16 January - Britainrsquos drugs regulator said on Tuesday it would work to minimise disruption
caused by the country leaving the European Union as it tried to allay some of the worst
fears of pharmaceutical companies The highly regulated drugs industry is concerned about
Brexit fallout as the European Medicines Agency (EMA) relocates from London to
Amsterdam creating uncertainty about drug approvals after 2019 The Medicines and
Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) said in an update on its website that it
20
hoped to have a continuing relationship with the EMA after Brexit but if this did not happen
it would be ldquopragmaticrdquo in setting UK drug rules hellip The agency also noted that London and
Brussels agreed last month that ldquogoods placed on the market under Union law before the
withdrawal date may freely circulate on the markets of the UK and the Union with no need
for product modifications or re-labellingrdquo The Association of the British Pharmaceutical
Industry hellip warned that planning for a scenario where Britain had a separate regulatory
system required further detail Reuters
top of page
USNORTHCOM
US FDA expects IV fluid shortage to improve in coming
weeks months
16 January - The US Food and Drug Administration said on Tuesday it expects a shortage
of intravenous saline fluids for hospitals due to damage to key manufacturing facilities in
Puerto Rico to improve over the coming weeks and months FDA Commissioner Scott
Gottlieb said that the FDA has approved IV saline products from more companies which is
expected to boost US supply He said the tight supply of saline products had been
exacerbated by increased demand as a result of a worse-than-normal flu season At the
same time Gottlieb said the agency is concerned about a potential shortage of IV
containers as demand for empty IV containers increases as an alternative to filled bags
Reuters
top of page
US Mapping how the opioid epidemic sparked an HIV
outbreak
14 January - When people started to show up to Dr William Cookes primary care office in
Austin Ind in 2014 with HIV Cooke knew it was probably related to the regions opioid
epidemic But what he and the rest of the public health community didnt know was who
they were missing or how long the HIV outbreak had been going on Now theyve got a
clearer picture mdash literally In visualizations published in the Journal of Infectious Diseases
dots and lines define the constellations of Indianas HIV outbreak Using genetic
sequencing they show how long the outbreak had been going on connected people who
hadnt previously been linked by traditional methods and showed how the virus jumped
from a slowly spreading infection to a virus transmitted quickly via needle sharing and
other smaller sub-epidemics NPR
top of page
21
US More $$ needed for health emergencies senators
told 17 January - The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) needs more funding to
effectively prepare for public health emergencies an HHS official said at a Senate hearing
Wednesday We cant do more things with limited resources Robert Kadlec MD HHS
assistant secretary for preparedness and response told members of the Senate Health
Education Labor amp Pensions (HELP) Committee hellip We have a $33 trillion healthcare
system of which we invest $250 million for preparedness Its just a drop in the bucket
The hearing focused on the pending reauthorization of the Pandemic and All-Hazards
Preparedness Act (PAHPA) a 2006 law that established Kadlecs position at HHS and
implemented several programs aimed at getting the nation ready for emergencies such as
developing and acquiring drugs and vaccines to be used when needed MedPage Today
top of page
US National Academies report endorses lower BAC
higher alcohol taxes 18 January - Getting to Zero Alcohol-Impaired Driving Fatalities a new report from the
National Academies of Sciences Engineering and Medicine recommends reducing state
laws criminalizing alcohol-impaired driving from 008 to 005 percent blood alcohol
concentration (BAC) increasing alcohol taxes significantly and other actions to address the
persistent problem of alcohol-impaired driving deaths There are more than 10000 alcohol-
impaired driving fatalities annually in the United States and the report says stakeholders
that range from transportation systems to alcohol retailers to law enforcement should join
forces to implement policies and systems to eliminate these preventable deaths The
committee that conducted the study and wrote the report recommended a number of
actions lowering state laws on BAC raising alcohol taxes significantly strengthening policies
to prevent illegal alcohol sales to people under 21 and to already intoxicated adults
enacting all-offender ignition interlock laws and providing effective treatment for offenders
when needed Occupational Health and Safety
top of page
US NIH study shows steep increase in rate of alcohol-
related ER visits 12 January - The rate of alcohol-related visits to US emergency departments (ED) increased
by nearly 50 percent between 2006 and 2014 especially among females and drinkers who
are middle-aged or older according to a new study conducted by researchers at the
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) part of the National Institutes
of Health hellip These increases far outpaced changes in the number and rate of ED visits for
any cause during the years studied hellip Although men account for more alcohol-related ED
visits than women the rate of such visits increased more among females than males (53
percent versus 40 percent annually) over the study period NIH
top of page
22
US Number of Americans without health insurance
grows in Trumps first year new figures show 16 January - The number of Americans without health coverage which declined for years
after passage of the Affordable Care Act shot up in President Trumprsquos first year in office
according to data from a new national survey At the end of 2017 122 of US adults
lacked health insurance up from 109 at the end of 2016 as President Obama was
completing his final term The increase of 13 percentage points although modest marks
the first time since at least 2008 that the share of adults without insurance increased from
the previous year hellip The increase indicates that 32 million Americans lost health coverage
in 2017 Gallup concluded Los Angeles Times
top of page
US The Big Number 3500 infants die of sleep-related
issues 13 January - Thatrsquos the number of babies in the United States who die each year as the
result of a sleep-related issue according to a new report from the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention The causes vary but child health experts believe many of the
deaths would be preventable if more parents adhered to safe-sleep practices For instance
babies should be placed on their backs to sleep but the CDC found that 22 percent of
moms placed babies on their side or stomach Soft bedding mdash blankets pillows bumper
pads mdash should be kept out of the sleep area but 39 percent of moms said they used soft
bedding And itrsquos a good idea to share a room with an infant but not a bed with a baby Still
61 percent of moms told the CDC they had slept with their babies The Washington Post
top of page
US US faces oversupply of antibiotic-free chicken -
Sanderson Farms 16 January - Supplies of chicken raised without antibiotics are outstripping demand a major
US poultry producer said on Tuesday a sign of overproduction that could eat into
processorsrsquo profits Large chicken and restaurant companies including Tyson Foods Inc and
McDonaldrsquos Corp have raced to cut antibiotics from poultry supplies as public health
experts have warned about the link between use of the drugs in farms and the rise of drug-
resistant bacteria Antibiotic-free chickens made up an average of 405 percent of all fresh
US production for the first 10 months of 2017 Sanderson Farms Inc said in a regulatory
filing However only 64 percent of sales were for products sold as antibiotic-free (ABF)
according to Sanderson the third-largest US poultry producer Reuters
top of page
US US government to shield health workers under
religious freedom 18 January - The US government is seeking to further protect the ldquoconscience and religious
23
freedomrdquo of health workers whose beliefs prevent them from carrying out abortions and
other procedures in an effort likely to please conservative Christian activists and other
supporters of President Donald Trump The US Department of Health and Human Services
said on Thursday it will create a division within its Office of Civil Rights to give it ldquothe focus it
needs to more vigorously and effectively enforce existing laws protecting the rights of
conscience and religious freedomrdquo Healthcare workers hospitals with religious affiliations
and medical students among others have been ldquobulliedrdquo by the federal government to
provide these services despite existing laws on religious and conscience rights the top HHS
official said Reuters
top of page
USPACOM
Bangladesh Cold wave
12 January - Severe cold wave is sweeping over Bangladesh It was recorded the lowest in
Bangladeshrsquos history at 26 degrees yesterday in Tetulia Rangpur division hellip According to
the MET office the cold wave is likely to continue till January 14 and one or two more cold
waves are expected later this month hellip The cold wave has disrupted the lives of many in
northern Bangladesh Poor people particularly the farmers and rickshaw-pullers have been
affected badly Children and elderly people are the worst affected Twenty-seven (27)
persons have been reported dead ReliefWeb
top of page
Indonesia Indonesia sends military to help fight health
crisis in Papua
17 January - Indonesia is deploying military paramedics to carry food and vaccines to a
remote part of its easternmost province of Papua where reports say at least 61 infants died
from malnutrition and diseases such as measles hellip The situation in the remote Asmat
regency was an ldquoextraordinary incidentrdquo the health ministry said in a statement adding that
it was sending 39 health workers there The Indonesian military has sent 53 personnel
including paramedics besides medical equipment vaccines and 11100 packages of instant
food it added hellip ldquoThere is a link between the malnutrition and (catching) other diseasesrdquo
[Health Minister Nila] Moeloek added ldquoIf yoursquore undernourished you will get those
diseasesrdquo Reuters
top of page
Philippines Sanofi will reimburse Philippines
government for unused Dengvaxia
16 January - Yesterday Sanofi Pasteur the French pharmaceutical giant announced it will
reimburse the Philippines government for unused doses of Dengvaxia its controversial
24
dengue vaccine The announcement comes weeks after the company recommended the
vaccine not be used in people without prior dengue infections as it may prime dengue-
naive recipients for more severe infections More than 800000 Filipino children had already
received Dengvaxia when the recommendation was made Sanofi Pasteur has responded
positively to the Philippine Department of Healths (DoH) request that we provide
reimbursement for the doses of Dengvaxia that were not used by the government in the
public vaccination program the company said CIDRAP News Scan (third item)
top of page
USSOUTHCOM
Brazil WHO recommends yellow fever shot to Sao Paulo
visitors
16 January - The World Health Organization said on Tuesday that the whole of Sao Paulo
state which includes Brazilrsquos largest city Sao Paulo should be considered at risk for yellow
fever and recommended foreign travelers get vaccinated before visiting But Brazilrsquos Health
Ministry said the WHO recommendation coming just weeks before Carnival when tens of
thousands of tourists descend on Brazil would not cause it to change its advisory that only
travelers going to rural areas need to get vaccinated Deputy Health Minister Antonio Carlos
Nardi said Carnival celebrations in February were in urban areas and that visitors would not
be at risk if they stayed in cities Nardi said the number of cases had risen again this year
but that there was no outbreak of yellow fever in the country Reuters
top of page
25
US Military | Global | Influenza | VeterinaryFood Safety | Wellness | Contact Us
USAFRICOM | USCENTCOM | USEUCOM | USNORTHCOM | USPACOM | USSOUTHCOM
The Army Public Health Weekly Update does not analyze the information as to its strategic or tactical impact on the US Army and is not a medical
intelligence product Medical intelligence is available from the National Center for Medical Intelligence
External Links The appearance of external hyperlinks does not constitute endorsement by the US Army of this Web site or the information products
or services contained therein For other than authorized activities such as military exchanges and MWR sites the US Army does not exercise any
editorial control over the information you may find at these locations Such links are provided consistent with the stated purpose of this product
Although we avoid links to sites that may be blocked all sites may not be accessible from all locations While we verify the links at the time of
publication we cannot guarantee that they will be active in the future
Articles appearing in the Update do not necessarily represent US Army Medical Command opinionsviews policy or guidance and should not be
construed or interpreted as being endorsed by the US Army Medical Command
The Army Public Health Weekly Update is published by the Public Health Information Directorate Army Public Health Center
11
different from each other hellip For the 2009 H1N1 pandemic season the investigators found
peaks in death rates in people from [United States and Mexico] who were 52 years old
corresponding with a birth year of 1957 when the H2N2 Asian flu pandemic occurred The
team said the vulnerability that they and others have noted in subsequent pandemics marks
an unappreciated risk factor and has all the markings of a cohort effect showing the value
of studying flu deaths by individual birth year instead of very large age-groups The findings
suggest that increased pandemic deaths in people primed in early life by viruses that have
little to no antigenic overlap with new pandemic or seasonal viruses might result in
responses that increase the pathogenicity of the disease possibly compromising lung
function the group wrote CIDRAP
top of page
USAFSAM amp DHA DoD Global Laboratory-Based
Influenza Surveillance Program During 17 - 30 December 2017 (Surveillance Weeks 51 amp 52) a total of 434 specimens were
collected and received from 58 locations Results were finalized for 396 specimens from 57
locations During Week 51 there were 115 influenza viruses detected 88 influenza A(H3N2)
(including two coinfections) 11 influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 and 16 influenza B (including two
coinfections) During Week 51 the influenza percent positive was approximately 38
During Week 52 there were 44 influenza viruses detected 35 influenza A(H3N2) (including
two coinfections) two influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 (including one coinfection) and seven
influenza B viruses (including one coinfection) The influenza percent positive was
approximately 49 during Week 52 The influenza percent positive for the season is 17
US Air Force School of Aerospace Medicine amp Defense Health Agency
top of page
VETERINARYFOOD SAFETY
Dozens of brands of ice cream bars now on recall for
Listeria 14 January - A Listeria-related ice cream bar recall that started Jan 5 with less than 400
cases of frozen treats now includes additional flavors and brands totaling close to 29000
cases sent to more than 35 retail chains across the country No illnesses have been
confirmed in connection with the ice cream products However finished samples tested
positive for Listeria monocytogenes before the initial recall and more samples have tested
positive since then spurring Fieldbrook Foods Corp to broaden its recall hellip Officials are
concerned that consumers and entities along the food supply chain may still have the
recalled ice cream treats in their freezers hellip ldquoThere is no evidence of any contamination
prior to Oct 31 2017 but the company has issued the recall back to Jan 1 2017 through
an abundance of caution and in full cooperation with the FDA (Food and Drug
Administration)rdquo according to the recall notice posted on the FDA website
Food Safety News
top of page
12
French police search Lactalis sites after baby milk scare
17 January -French police were searching several sites belonging to dairy producer Lactalis
on Wednesday following a salmonella contamination scare that prompted a global recall of
several baby food products a source at the Paris prosecutorrsquos office said The scandal
deepened this month when it emerged some of the recalled baby foods had still made their
way onto shop shelves in a number of supermarket chains The Paris prosecutor opened a
preliminary probe into the salmonella contamination scare in late December Reuters
top of page
Fugu freakout Dont eat the blowfish Japanese officials
warn
16 January - Officials in the central Japanese city of Gamagori
are warning residents not to eat blowfish purchased from a
local supermarket after potentially deadly parts of the fish were
inadvertently sold The market sold five packages of fish
without removing their livers which can contain a potent
neurotoxin Three of the packages of fish have been recovered
by authorities but two others remain at large hellip Eating fugu liver can paralyze motor
nerves and in a serious case cause respiratory arrest leading to death regional officials
said in a warning statement Blowfish known in Japan as fugu is a highly prized delicacy
both as sashimi or as an ingredient in soup but the fishs liver ovaries and skin contain the
poison tetrodotoxin and the parts must be removed by specially trained and licensed
preparers There is no known antidote to the poison NPR
top of page
Multistate outbreak of Salmonella infections linked to
coconut tree brand frozen shredded coconut
16 January - CDC public health and regulatory officials in several states and the US Food
and Drug Administration (FDA) are investigating a multistate outbreak of Salmonella
infections hellip As of January 12 2018 25 people infected with the outbreak strains of
Salmonella I 4[5]12b- (24 people) or Salmonella Newport (1 person) have been reported
from 9 states One more ill person infected with the outbreak strain of Salmonella I
4[5]12b- has been reported from Canada hellip Illnesses started on dates ranging from May
11 2017 to November 4 2017 Ill people range in age from 1 year to 82 with a median age
of 19 Among ill people 19 (76) are male Six people (24) report being hospitalized No
deaths have been reported hellip The frozen shredded coconut linked to this outbreak was
used as an ingredient in Asian-style dessert drinks served at restaurants The product was
also sold in grocery stores and markets in several states Frozen shredded coconut can last
for several months if kept frozen and may still be in retail stores or in peoplersquos homes CDC
top of page
13
Pets Raw meat diets pose a risk to both animal and
human health
12 January - Experts are warning dog and cat owners to be
aware of the risks associated with feeding their pets raw meat-
based diets (RMBDs) instead of the more conventional dry or
canned pet foods hellip Of most concern however is the risk to
public or animal health due to contamination of RMBDs with
zoonotic bacteria and parasites that can pass between animals and humans hellip [A] team of
researchers based in The Netherlands say these diets may be contaminated with bacteria
and parasites and as such may pose a risk to both animal and human health hellip They
analysed 35 commercial frozen RMBDs from eight different brands widely available in The
Netherlands Escherichia coli O157 was isolated from eight products (23) Listeria species
were present in 15 products (43) and Salmonella species in seven products (20) Both E
coli O157 and Salmonella infections in humans have been linked with serious illnesses
Outbreak News Today
top of page
South Africa More Listeriosis cases and deaths Whatrsquos
being done
18 January - In just a matter of a few days the Listeriosis outbreak described as the ldquolargest
documented listeriosis outbreak South Africa has ever experiencedrdquo has grown by 19 cases
with a new outbreak total of 767 laboratory-confirmed listeriosis cases as of Jan 16 The
National Institute of Communicable Diseases (NICD) now puts the death toll at 81 hellip At
present the source of the outbreak is not known hellip The National Department of Health is hellip
interviewing all persons who have been diagnosed with Listeria to understand what food
they have eaten and identify trends Outbreak News Today
top of page
The parasite on the playground
16 January - Millions of American children have been
exposed to hellip parasites roundworms of the genus Toxocara
live in the intestines of cats and dogs especially strays
Microscopic eggs from Toxocara are shed in the animalsrsquo
feces contaminating yards playgrounds and sandboxes
These infectious particles cling to the hands of children
playing outside Once swallowed the eggs soon hatch releasing larvae that wriggle through
the body and evidence suggests may even reach the brain compromising learning and
cognition hellip The latest [CDC] report hellip estimated that about 5 percent of the United States
population mdash or about 16 million people mdash carry Toxocara antibodies in their blood a sign
they have ingested the eggs But the risk is not evenly shared Poor and minority
populations are more often exposed The rate among African Americans was almost 7
14
percent according to the CDC Among people living below the poverty line the infection
rate was 10 percent The New York Times
top of page
WELLNESS
Current cigarette smoking among adults mdash United States
2016
19 January - hellip The proportion of US adults who smoke cigarettes declined from 209 in
2005 (451 million smokers) to 155 in 2016 (378 million smokers) but cigarette smoking
prevalence did not change significantly during 2015ndash2016 Sociodemographic disparities in
cigarette smoking persist During 2005ndash2016 increases occurred in the proportion of adult
ever smokers who quit smoking (508 to 590) Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report
top of page
Cycling does not harm mens sexual health study says
12 January - Cycling does not negatively affect mens
sexual health or urinary function a study has found
Researchers compared cyclists with runners and
swimmers and found their sexual and urinary health was
comparable The findings contrasted with previous
studies that suggested cycling could negatively affect mens sexual function the studys
authors said They said the benefits to cycling far outweigh the risks hellip Sexual health and
urinary function were comparable in all three groups researchers said although some
cyclists were more prone to urethral strictures - a narrowing of the urethra hellip The cyclists
did have statistically significant higher odds of genital numbness the study found
BBC News
top of page
Obesity shaved almost a year off US life expectancy
study says
16 January - Rising obesity rates in the US may be responsible for as many as 186000
deaths per year according to a new analysis The US has seen only relatively modest
improvements in mortality rates over the past couple decades despite public health
victories including major reductions in smoking Death rates tied to cardiovascular disease
cancer and other chronic illnesses for example declined more slowly in the US than in any
of 13 similarly developed nations between 1999 and 2015 Researchers hellip thought rising
obesity rates might have something to do with it so they pored over two subsequent
editions of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Study (NHANES) and the
associated death records Increases in obesity according to the paper slowed gains in
15
mortality rates by 054 between 1988 and 2011 shaving an estimated 09 years off the
national life expectancy at age 40 and resulting in as many as 186000 additional deaths in
2011 alone Time
top of page
Researchers probe stomach surgeryrsquos lsquomiraclersquo secrets
17 January - Nima Saeidi an assistant professor of surgery at Harvard Medical School and
Massachusetts General Hospital and a member of the Center for Engineering in Medicine
had started down one career path when a lecture on Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery
redirected him The MGH lecture outlined not just the procedurersquos striking effectiveness for
weight loss hellip but also its promise against diabetes high blood pressure cholesterol and
fatty-food cravings hellip The idea of a compound that mimics the positives of Roux-en-Y is
particularly enticing amid twin national epidemics of obesity and diabetes The surgery
has been shown to affect insulin sensitivity and production of the hunger hormones ghrelin
and leptin It also alters the composition of a patientrsquos microbiome hellip Saeidi and colleagues
have turned to new rodent models spectroscopic instruments and novel informatics
techniques that shift inquiry from a traditional hypothesis-based step-by-step exploration
to one that seeks to reverse-engineer the problem by searching broadly for postoperative
chemical changes in the body and then working to understand them Harvard Gazette
top of page
Wal-Mart launches program to safely dispose of unused
opioids
17 January - The company said patients filling any new class II opioid prescriptions at its
pharmacies will receive a free packet of the product - called DisposeRx - when filling a new
prescription hellip People filling prescriptions at Samrsquos Club can also get DisposeRx at their
pharmacies In order to safely dispose of opioids patients would add warm water and the
DisposeRx powder to their pill bottle which then forms a biodegradable gel around the
pills Reuters
top of page
USAFRICOM
Democratic Republic of the Congo Five cases of vaccine-
derived polio detected in DRC
12 January - In an advance notification the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) said
there are five new cases of vaccine-derived polio from the Democratic Republic of the
Congo (DRC) hellip These are the first cases reported from the DRC in 2018 but illness onset
dates havent yet been recorded For 2017 there were 12 cases of circulating vaccine-
derived poliovirus type 2 (cVDPV2) in the DRC and 74 reported in Syria hellip In other polio
news Science published an article today describing the increasing number of polio
16
environmental samples found in Pakistan despite the dwindling number of human cases
The authors said the increasing samples could be sign that polio is on its last legs in that
country before eradication CIDRAP News Scan (fourth item)
top of page
Namibia Hepatitis E
15 January - During the week ending on 13 October 2017 the first identified case was
admitted to a public hospital in Windhoek district with signs and symptoms of hepatitis E
During the week ending on 8 January 2018 a total of 237 probable and confirmed cases
have been seen at various health facilities in Windhoek district with the same signs and
symptoms All suspected patients tested negative for hepatitis A B and C A total of 41 of
the 237 cases were sent for further testing and on 8 January 2018 the results showed 21
were IgM positive for hepatitis E WHO
top of page
Nigeria 3 die from Lassa fever in Ebonyi State
16 January - Four cases of Lassa fever were reported among health care workers in Ebonyi
State in southeastern Nigeria with three passing away from the lethal viral disease
the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) said The Honorable Minister of Health
Professor Isaac Adewole immediately requested that NCDC provides support to the
Government of Ebonyi State to investigate and respond to this cluster of cases
Outbreak News Today
top of page
South Africa Cape Town slashes water use amid drought
18 January - The South African city of Cape Town will slash residents water allowance to 50
litres a day from next month amid fears that it could become the worlds first major city to
run out of water The city had reached a point of no return Mayor Patricia de Lille said
Cape Town a popular tourist destination has been hit by its worst drought in a century Ms
De Lille warned that the city risked reaching Day Zero on 21 April when taps in homes
could run dry We can no longer ask people to stop wasting water We must force them
she said at a press conference Despite our urging for months 60 of Capetonians are
callously using more than 87 litres per day she added referring to the current daily limit A
person uses about 15 litres per minute for a typical shower and the same amount when
flushing a standard toilet according to WaterWise a South African water usage awareness
campaign BBC News
top of page
South Sudan Rift Valley fever suspected in South Sudan
VHF cluster 2 cases reported
16 January - Preliminary indications into South Sudans recent viral hemorrhagic fever
outbreak suggest that Rift Valley fever (RVF) may be the cause the World Health
17
Organization (WHO) Regional Office for Africa said in its latest outbreak and health
emergencies update The initial cluster included three patients from the same area of
Eastern Lakes state who had similar symptoms and died from their infections in December
hellip [T]wo more suspected human cases have been reported and involve an 18-year-old
pregnant woman who is a contact of a patient in the initial cluster and a 14-year-old girl
from a neighboring village who had no epidemiologic links to the original three cluster
patients State and national task forces have been activated The WHO said surveillance in
humans and animals needs to be strengthened in the area while efforts continue to confirm
the cause of the outbreak CIDRAP New Scan (first item)
top of page
Uganda Doctors in Uganda warn crisis level blood
shortage is putting lives at risk
16 January - Uganda is grappling with a critical shortage of blood that is affecting services
and putting patientsrsquo lives at risk The health ministryrsquos blood bank facility in the capital
Kampala which stores and distributes supplies to hospitals is practically empty It has just
150 units of blood remaining not enough to meet requirements on an average day in the
city Nationally Uganda needs at least 340000 units of safe blood annually but usually only
collects 200000 a year A six-day countrywide blood collection drive was launched by the
ministry on Monday The Uganda Medical Association an umbrella organisation of doctors
in public health facilities said the shortage was ldquoalmost [at] crisis levelrdquo resulting in the
cancellation of hospital operations and prioritisation of cases The Guardian
top of page
United Republic of Tanzania Cholera
12 January - From 15 August 2015 through 7 January 2018 33421 cases including 542
deaths (case fatality rate = 162) have been reported across all 26 regions of the United
Republic of Tanzania (Tanzania mainland and Zanzibar) Tanzania mainland has reported
86 of the total cases in this outbreak Children under five years old accounted for 114 of
cases Since the beginning of the outbreak over 7000 specimens have been tested for
cholera and 47 were positive for Vibrio cholerae by culture From 1 January 2017 through
31 December 4985 cases including 99 deaths have been reported in Tanzania Mainland
and Zanzibar The number of cases as well as geographical spread of cholera has markedly
reduced compared to the two previous years WHO
top of page
Zambia Zambia relaxes restrictions as cholera outbreak
slows
14 January - Zambia on Sunday relaxed rules imposed to curb the spread of cholera as the
number of new cases being reported has halved Health Minister Chitalu Chilufya said
Schools and some markets will be allowed to re-open Chilufya told a news conference in
Lusaka Police arrested 55 people in the capital on Friday after residents rioted over a curfew
18
and ban on street vending The outbreak has killed 74 people since Oct 4 including 68 in
Lusaka Chilufya said The number of new cases has fallen to around 80 from 164 a week
ago Of the more than 3200 cases reported in total more than 3000 have been in Lusaka
All government and private schools will re-open on Jan 22 but Zambiarsquos two largest public
universities will remain closed for now President Edgar Lungu last month directed the
military to clean markets and unblock drains to help to fight the spread of the waterborne
disease Reuters
top of page
USCENTCOM
Yemen UN hopes imports will help stave off famine in
Yemen as diphtheria spreads
16 January - United Nations aid agencies called on Tuesday for the Yemeni port of
Hodeidah to remain open beyond Friday the date set by a Saudi-led military coalition to
permit continued delivery of life-saving goods Yemen is the worldrsquos worst humanitarian
crisis where 83 million people are entirely dependent on external food aid and 400000
children suffer from severe acute malnutrition a potentially lethal condition they said hellip
More than 11 million Yemeni children - virtually all - need humanitarian assistance Relano
said UNICEF figures show 25000 Yemeni babies die at birth or before the age of one
month hellip A diphtheria outbreak in Yemen is ldquospreading quicklyrdquo with 678 cases and 48
associated deaths in four months Fadela Chaib of the World Health Organisation said
Reuters
top of page
USEUCOM
Ukraine Ukraine conflict has increased spread of HIV in
silent epidemic
16 January - The conflict in eastern Ukraine has increased the
spread of HIV throughout the country as people have been
uprooted by the violence a new study finds hellip Ukraine has
among the highest HIV rates in Europe with an estimated
220000 infected in a country of about 45 million hellip The study
says the HIV crisis in Ukraine has become a silent epidemic because half of HIV-infected
people are unaware they have the infection and around 40 percent of newly diagnosed
people are in the later stages of the disease hellip [A]n international team of scientists hellip
analyzed viral migration patterns in Ukraine from 2012 to 2015 They found a correlation
between the movement of 17 million people uprooted by the war and the spread of HIV
19
hellip The HIV epidemic has shifted from being associated with drug injections in the 1990s to
most new infections now being spread by sexual transmission the study found
Radio Free EuropeRadio Liberty
top of page
United Kingdom Britain appoints minister for loneliness
amid growing isolation
17 January - Britain has appointed a minister for loneliness to take forward the work of
murdered lawmaker Jo Cox and tackle the isolation felt by more than one in ten people in
the UK Sports minister Tracey Crouch will take on the new role [to] develop a strategy to
address the problem which research has linked with dementia early mortality and high
blood pressure hellip The majority of people over 75 live alone and about 200000 older people
in the UK have not had a conversation with a friend or relative in more than a month
according to government data Most doctors in Britain see between one and five patients a
day who have come mainly because they are lonely according to the Campaign to End
Loneliness Reuters
top of page
United Kingdom Measles outbreak spreading across
England warn health officials
16 January - Public health experts are urging parents to immunise their children against
measles as the potentially deadly bug has now spread to five regions in England With more
than 100 cases confirmed Public Health England warns that the UK could be on the verge
of an outbreak due to a rise in cases across Europe People who have recently visited
Romania Italy and Germany and have not been fully immunised against measles via the
MMR vaccine may be most at risk they said hellip However not all cases are being spread by
those who have visited countries included in the European outbreak a spokesperson for
Public Health England told The Independent We know that measles cases are showing a
link to importation from Europe where there are ongoing outbreaks but the cases are also
spreading within the UK in under-vaccinated communities they explained
The Independent
top of page
United Kingdom UK drugs regulator plays down Brexit
disruption threat
16 January - Britainrsquos drugs regulator said on Tuesday it would work to minimise disruption
caused by the country leaving the European Union as it tried to allay some of the worst
fears of pharmaceutical companies The highly regulated drugs industry is concerned about
Brexit fallout as the European Medicines Agency (EMA) relocates from London to
Amsterdam creating uncertainty about drug approvals after 2019 The Medicines and
Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) said in an update on its website that it
20
hoped to have a continuing relationship with the EMA after Brexit but if this did not happen
it would be ldquopragmaticrdquo in setting UK drug rules hellip The agency also noted that London and
Brussels agreed last month that ldquogoods placed on the market under Union law before the
withdrawal date may freely circulate on the markets of the UK and the Union with no need
for product modifications or re-labellingrdquo The Association of the British Pharmaceutical
Industry hellip warned that planning for a scenario where Britain had a separate regulatory
system required further detail Reuters
top of page
USNORTHCOM
US FDA expects IV fluid shortage to improve in coming
weeks months
16 January - The US Food and Drug Administration said on Tuesday it expects a shortage
of intravenous saline fluids for hospitals due to damage to key manufacturing facilities in
Puerto Rico to improve over the coming weeks and months FDA Commissioner Scott
Gottlieb said that the FDA has approved IV saline products from more companies which is
expected to boost US supply He said the tight supply of saline products had been
exacerbated by increased demand as a result of a worse-than-normal flu season At the
same time Gottlieb said the agency is concerned about a potential shortage of IV
containers as demand for empty IV containers increases as an alternative to filled bags
Reuters
top of page
US Mapping how the opioid epidemic sparked an HIV
outbreak
14 January - When people started to show up to Dr William Cookes primary care office in
Austin Ind in 2014 with HIV Cooke knew it was probably related to the regions opioid
epidemic But what he and the rest of the public health community didnt know was who
they were missing or how long the HIV outbreak had been going on Now theyve got a
clearer picture mdash literally In visualizations published in the Journal of Infectious Diseases
dots and lines define the constellations of Indianas HIV outbreak Using genetic
sequencing they show how long the outbreak had been going on connected people who
hadnt previously been linked by traditional methods and showed how the virus jumped
from a slowly spreading infection to a virus transmitted quickly via needle sharing and
other smaller sub-epidemics NPR
top of page
21
US More $$ needed for health emergencies senators
told 17 January - The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) needs more funding to
effectively prepare for public health emergencies an HHS official said at a Senate hearing
Wednesday We cant do more things with limited resources Robert Kadlec MD HHS
assistant secretary for preparedness and response told members of the Senate Health
Education Labor amp Pensions (HELP) Committee hellip We have a $33 trillion healthcare
system of which we invest $250 million for preparedness Its just a drop in the bucket
The hearing focused on the pending reauthorization of the Pandemic and All-Hazards
Preparedness Act (PAHPA) a 2006 law that established Kadlecs position at HHS and
implemented several programs aimed at getting the nation ready for emergencies such as
developing and acquiring drugs and vaccines to be used when needed MedPage Today
top of page
US National Academies report endorses lower BAC
higher alcohol taxes 18 January - Getting to Zero Alcohol-Impaired Driving Fatalities a new report from the
National Academies of Sciences Engineering and Medicine recommends reducing state
laws criminalizing alcohol-impaired driving from 008 to 005 percent blood alcohol
concentration (BAC) increasing alcohol taxes significantly and other actions to address the
persistent problem of alcohol-impaired driving deaths There are more than 10000 alcohol-
impaired driving fatalities annually in the United States and the report says stakeholders
that range from transportation systems to alcohol retailers to law enforcement should join
forces to implement policies and systems to eliminate these preventable deaths The
committee that conducted the study and wrote the report recommended a number of
actions lowering state laws on BAC raising alcohol taxes significantly strengthening policies
to prevent illegal alcohol sales to people under 21 and to already intoxicated adults
enacting all-offender ignition interlock laws and providing effective treatment for offenders
when needed Occupational Health and Safety
top of page
US NIH study shows steep increase in rate of alcohol-
related ER visits 12 January - The rate of alcohol-related visits to US emergency departments (ED) increased
by nearly 50 percent between 2006 and 2014 especially among females and drinkers who
are middle-aged or older according to a new study conducted by researchers at the
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) part of the National Institutes
of Health hellip These increases far outpaced changes in the number and rate of ED visits for
any cause during the years studied hellip Although men account for more alcohol-related ED
visits than women the rate of such visits increased more among females than males (53
percent versus 40 percent annually) over the study period NIH
top of page
22
US Number of Americans without health insurance
grows in Trumps first year new figures show 16 January - The number of Americans without health coverage which declined for years
after passage of the Affordable Care Act shot up in President Trumprsquos first year in office
according to data from a new national survey At the end of 2017 122 of US adults
lacked health insurance up from 109 at the end of 2016 as President Obama was
completing his final term The increase of 13 percentage points although modest marks
the first time since at least 2008 that the share of adults without insurance increased from
the previous year hellip The increase indicates that 32 million Americans lost health coverage
in 2017 Gallup concluded Los Angeles Times
top of page
US The Big Number 3500 infants die of sleep-related
issues 13 January - Thatrsquos the number of babies in the United States who die each year as the
result of a sleep-related issue according to a new report from the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention The causes vary but child health experts believe many of the
deaths would be preventable if more parents adhered to safe-sleep practices For instance
babies should be placed on their backs to sleep but the CDC found that 22 percent of
moms placed babies on their side or stomach Soft bedding mdash blankets pillows bumper
pads mdash should be kept out of the sleep area but 39 percent of moms said they used soft
bedding And itrsquos a good idea to share a room with an infant but not a bed with a baby Still
61 percent of moms told the CDC they had slept with their babies The Washington Post
top of page
US US faces oversupply of antibiotic-free chicken -
Sanderson Farms 16 January - Supplies of chicken raised without antibiotics are outstripping demand a major
US poultry producer said on Tuesday a sign of overproduction that could eat into
processorsrsquo profits Large chicken and restaurant companies including Tyson Foods Inc and
McDonaldrsquos Corp have raced to cut antibiotics from poultry supplies as public health
experts have warned about the link between use of the drugs in farms and the rise of drug-
resistant bacteria Antibiotic-free chickens made up an average of 405 percent of all fresh
US production for the first 10 months of 2017 Sanderson Farms Inc said in a regulatory
filing However only 64 percent of sales were for products sold as antibiotic-free (ABF)
according to Sanderson the third-largest US poultry producer Reuters
top of page
US US government to shield health workers under
religious freedom 18 January - The US government is seeking to further protect the ldquoconscience and religious
23
freedomrdquo of health workers whose beliefs prevent them from carrying out abortions and
other procedures in an effort likely to please conservative Christian activists and other
supporters of President Donald Trump The US Department of Health and Human Services
said on Thursday it will create a division within its Office of Civil Rights to give it ldquothe focus it
needs to more vigorously and effectively enforce existing laws protecting the rights of
conscience and religious freedomrdquo Healthcare workers hospitals with religious affiliations
and medical students among others have been ldquobulliedrdquo by the federal government to
provide these services despite existing laws on religious and conscience rights the top HHS
official said Reuters
top of page
USPACOM
Bangladesh Cold wave
12 January - Severe cold wave is sweeping over Bangladesh It was recorded the lowest in
Bangladeshrsquos history at 26 degrees yesterday in Tetulia Rangpur division hellip According to
the MET office the cold wave is likely to continue till January 14 and one or two more cold
waves are expected later this month hellip The cold wave has disrupted the lives of many in
northern Bangladesh Poor people particularly the farmers and rickshaw-pullers have been
affected badly Children and elderly people are the worst affected Twenty-seven (27)
persons have been reported dead ReliefWeb
top of page
Indonesia Indonesia sends military to help fight health
crisis in Papua
17 January - Indonesia is deploying military paramedics to carry food and vaccines to a
remote part of its easternmost province of Papua where reports say at least 61 infants died
from malnutrition and diseases such as measles hellip The situation in the remote Asmat
regency was an ldquoextraordinary incidentrdquo the health ministry said in a statement adding that
it was sending 39 health workers there The Indonesian military has sent 53 personnel
including paramedics besides medical equipment vaccines and 11100 packages of instant
food it added hellip ldquoThere is a link between the malnutrition and (catching) other diseasesrdquo
[Health Minister Nila] Moeloek added ldquoIf yoursquore undernourished you will get those
diseasesrdquo Reuters
top of page
Philippines Sanofi will reimburse Philippines
government for unused Dengvaxia
16 January - Yesterday Sanofi Pasteur the French pharmaceutical giant announced it will
reimburse the Philippines government for unused doses of Dengvaxia its controversial
24
dengue vaccine The announcement comes weeks after the company recommended the
vaccine not be used in people without prior dengue infections as it may prime dengue-
naive recipients for more severe infections More than 800000 Filipino children had already
received Dengvaxia when the recommendation was made Sanofi Pasteur has responded
positively to the Philippine Department of Healths (DoH) request that we provide
reimbursement for the doses of Dengvaxia that were not used by the government in the
public vaccination program the company said CIDRAP News Scan (third item)
top of page
USSOUTHCOM
Brazil WHO recommends yellow fever shot to Sao Paulo
visitors
16 January - The World Health Organization said on Tuesday that the whole of Sao Paulo
state which includes Brazilrsquos largest city Sao Paulo should be considered at risk for yellow
fever and recommended foreign travelers get vaccinated before visiting But Brazilrsquos Health
Ministry said the WHO recommendation coming just weeks before Carnival when tens of
thousands of tourists descend on Brazil would not cause it to change its advisory that only
travelers going to rural areas need to get vaccinated Deputy Health Minister Antonio Carlos
Nardi said Carnival celebrations in February were in urban areas and that visitors would not
be at risk if they stayed in cities Nardi said the number of cases had risen again this year
but that there was no outbreak of yellow fever in the country Reuters
top of page
25
US Military | Global | Influenza | VeterinaryFood Safety | Wellness | Contact Us
USAFRICOM | USCENTCOM | USEUCOM | USNORTHCOM | USPACOM | USSOUTHCOM
The Army Public Health Weekly Update does not analyze the information as to its strategic or tactical impact on the US Army and is not a medical
intelligence product Medical intelligence is available from the National Center for Medical Intelligence
External Links The appearance of external hyperlinks does not constitute endorsement by the US Army of this Web site or the information products
or services contained therein For other than authorized activities such as military exchanges and MWR sites the US Army does not exercise any
editorial control over the information you may find at these locations Such links are provided consistent with the stated purpose of this product
Although we avoid links to sites that may be blocked all sites may not be accessible from all locations While we verify the links at the time of
publication we cannot guarantee that they will be active in the future
Articles appearing in the Update do not necessarily represent US Army Medical Command opinionsviews policy or guidance and should not be
construed or interpreted as being endorsed by the US Army Medical Command
The Army Public Health Weekly Update is published by the Public Health Information Directorate Army Public Health Center
12
French police search Lactalis sites after baby milk scare
17 January -French police were searching several sites belonging to dairy producer Lactalis
on Wednesday following a salmonella contamination scare that prompted a global recall of
several baby food products a source at the Paris prosecutorrsquos office said The scandal
deepened this month when it emerged some of the recalled baby foods had still made their
way onto shop shelves in a number of supermarket chains The Paris prosecutor opened a
preliminary probe into the salmonella contamination scare in late December Reuters
top of page
Fugu freakout Dont eat the blowfish Japanese officials
warn
16 January - Officials in the central Japanese city of Gamagori
are warning residents not to eat blowfish purchased from a
local supermarket after potentially deadly parts of the fish were
inadvertently sold The market sold five packages of fish
without removing their livers which can contain a potent
neurotoxin Three of the packages of fish have been recovered
by authorities but two others remain at large hellip Eating fugu liver can paralyze motor
nerves and in a serious case cause respiratory arrest leading to death regional officials
said in a warning statement Blowfish known in Japan as fugu is a highly prized delicacy
both as sashimi or as an ingredient in soup but the fishs liver ovaries and skin contain the
poison tetrodotoxin and the parts must be removed by specially trained and licensed
preparers There is no known antidote to the poison NPR
top of page
Multistate outbreak of Salmonella infections linked to
coconut tree brand frozen shredded coconut
16 January - CDC public health and regulatory officials in several states and the US Food
and Drug Administration (FDA) are investigating a multistate outbreak of Salmonella
infections hellip As of January 12 2018 25 people infected with the outbreak strains of
Salmonella I 4[5]12b- (24 people) or Salmonella Newport (1 person) have been reported
from 9 states One more ill person infected with the outbreak strain of Salmonella I
4[5]12b- has been reported from Canada hellip Illnesses started on dates ranging from May
11 2017 to November 4 2017 Ill people range in age from 1 year to 82 with a median age
of 19 Among ill people 19 (76) are male Six people (24) report being hospitalized No
deaths have been reported hellip The frozen shredded coconut linked to this outbreak was
used as an ingredient in Asian-style dessert drinks served at restaurants The product was
also sold in grocery stores and markets in several states Frozen shredded coconut can last
for several months if kept frozen and may still be in retail stores or in peoplersquos homes CDC
top of page
13
Pets Raw meat diets pose a risk to both animal and
human health
12 January - Experts are warning dog and cat owners to be
aware of the risks associated with feeding their pets raw meat-
based diets (RMBDs) instead of the more conventional dry or
canned pet foods hellip Of most concern however is the risk to
public or animal health due to contamination of RMBDs with
zoonotic bacteria and parasites that can pass between animals and humans hellip [A] team of
researchers based in The Netherlands say these diets may be contaminated with bacteria
and parasites and as such may pose a risk to both animal and human health hellip They
analysed 35 commercial frozen RMBDs from eight different brands widely available in The
Netherlands Escherichia coli O157 was isolated from eight products (23) Listeria species
were present in 15 products (43) and Salmonella species in seven products (20) Both E
coli O157 and Salmonella infections in humans have been linked with serious illnesses
Outbreak News Today
top of page
South Africa More Listeriosis cases and deaths Whatrsquos
being done
18 January - In just a matter of a few days the Listeriosis outbreak described as the ldquolargest
documented listeriosis outbreak South Africa has ever experiencedrdquo has grown by 19 cases
with a new outbreak total of 767 laboratory-confirmed listeriosis cases as of Jan 16 The
National Institute of Communicable Diseases (NICD) now puts the death toll at 81 hellip At
present the source of the outbreak is not known hellip The National Department of Health is hellip
interviewing all persons who have been diagnosed with Listeria to understand what food
they have eaten and identify trends Outbreak News Today
top of page
The parasite on the playground
16 January - Millions of American children have been
exposed to hellip parasites roundworms of the genus Toxocara
live in the intestines of cats and dogs especially strays
Microscopic eggs from Toxocara are shed in the animalsrsquo
feces contaminating yards playgrounds and sandboxes
These infectious particles cling to the hands of children
playing outside Once swallowed the eggs soon hatch releasing larvae that wriggle through
the body and evidence suggests may even reach the brain compromising learning and
cognition hellip The latest [CDC] report hellip estimated that about 5 percent of the United States
population mdash or about 16 million people mdash carry Toxocara antibodies in their blood a sign
they have ingested the eggs But the risk is not evenly shared Poor and minority
populations are more often exposed The rate among African Americans was almost 7
14
percent according to the CDC Among people living below the poverty line the infection
rate was 10 percent The New York Times
top of page
WELLNESS
Current cigarette smoking among adults mdash United States
2016
19 January - hellip The proportion of US adults who smoke cigarettes declined from 209 in
2005 (451 million smokers) to 155 in 2016 (378 million smokers) but cigarette smoking
prevalence did not change significantly during 2015ndash2016 Sociodemographic disparities in
cigarette smoking persist During 2005ndash2016 increases occurred in the proportion of adult
ever smokers who quit smoking (508 to 590) Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report
top of page
Cycling does not harm mens sexual health study says
12 January - Cycling does not negatively affect mens
sexual health or urinary function a study has found
Researchers compared cyclists with runners and
swimmers and found their sexual and urinary health was
comparable The findings contrasted with previous
studies that suggested cycling could negatively affect mens sexual function the studys
authors said They said the benefits to cycling far outweigh the risks hellip Sexual health and
urinary function were comparable in all three groups researchers said although some
cyclists were more prone to urethral strictures - a narrowing of the urethra hellip The cyclists
did have statistically significant higher odds of genital numbness the study found
BBC News
top of page
Obesity shaved almost a year off US life expectancy
study says
16 January - Rising obesity rates in the US may be responsible for as many as 186000
deaths per year according to a new analysis The US has seen only relatively modest
improvements in mortality rates over the past couple decades despite public health
victories including major reductions in smoking Death rates tied to cardiovascular disease
cancer and other chronic illnesses for example declined more slowly in the US than in any
of 13 similarly developed nations between 1999 and 2015 Researchers hellip thought rising
obesity rates might have something to do with it so they pored over two subsequent
editions of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Study (NHANES) and the
associated death records Increases in obesity according to the paper slowed gains in
15
mortality rates by 054 between 1988 and 2011 shaving an estimated 09 years off the
national life expectancy at age 40 and resulting in as many as 186000 additional deaths in
2011 alone Time
top of page
Researchers probe stomach surgeryrsquos lsquomiraclersquo secrets
17 January - Nima Saeidi an assistant professor of surgery at Harvard Medical School and
Massachusetts General Hospital and a member of the Center for Engineering in Medicine
had started down one career path when a lecture on Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery
redirected him The MGH lecture outlined not just the procedurersquos striking effectiveness for
weight loss hellip but also its promise against diabetes high blood pressure cholesterol and
fatty-food cravings hellip The idea of a compound that mimics the positives of Roux-en-Y is
particularly enticing amid twin national epidemics of obesity and diabetes The surgery
has been shown to affect insulin sensitivity and production of the hunger hormones ghrelin
and leptin It also alters the composition of a patientrsquos microbiome hellip Saeidi and colleagues
have turned to new rodent models spectroscopic instruments and novel informatics
techniques that shift inquiry from a traditional hypothesis-based step-by-step exploration
to one that seeks to reverse-engineer the problem by searching broadly for postoperative
chemical changes in the body and then working to understand them Harvard Gazette
top of page
Wal-Mart launches program to safely dispose of unused
opioids
17 January - The company said patients filling any new class II opioid prescriptions at its
pharmacies will receive a free packet of the product - called DisposeRx - when filling a new
prescription hellip People filling prescriptions at Samrsquos Club can also get DisposeRx at their
pharmacies In order to safely dispose of opioids patients would add warm water and the
DisposeRx powder to their pill bottle which then forms a biodegradable gel around the
pills Reuters
top of page
USAFRICOM
Democratic Republic of the Congo Five cases of vaccine-
derived polio detected in DRC
12 January - In an advance notification the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) said
there are five new cases of vaccine-derived polio from the Democratic Republic of the
Congo (DRC) hellip These are the first cases reported from the DRC in 2018 but illness onset
dates havent yet been recorded For 2017 there were 12 cases of circulating vaccine-
derived poliovirus type 2 (cVDPV2) in the DRC and 74 reported in Syria hellip In other polio
news Science published an article today describing the increasing number of polio
16
environmental samples found in Pakistan despite the dwindling number of human cases
The authors said the increasing samples could be sign that polio is on its last legs in that
country before eradication CIDRAP News Scan (fourth item)
top of page
Namibia Hepatitis E
15 January - During the week ending on 13 October 2017 the first identified case was
admitted to a public hospital in Windhoek district with signs and symptoms of hepatitis E
During the week ending on 8 January 2018 a total of 237 probable and confirmed cases
have been seen at various health facilities in Windhoek district with the same signs and
symptoms All suspected patients tested negative for hepatitis A B and C A total of 41 of
the 237 cases were sent for further testing and on 8 January 2018 the results showed 21
were IgM positive for hepatitis E WHO
top of page
Nigeria 3 die from Lassa fever in Ebonyi State
16 January - Four cases of Lassa fever were reported among health care workers in Ebonyi
State in southeastern Nigeria with three passing away from the lethal viral disease
the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) said The Honorable Minister of Health
Professor Isaac Adewole immediately requested that NCDC provides support to the
Government of Ebonyi State to investigate and respond to this cluster of cases
Outbreak News Today
top of page
South Africa Cape Town slashes water use amid drought
18 January - The South African city of Cape Town will slash residents water allowance to 50
litres a day from next month amid fears that it could become the worlds first major city to
run out of water The city had reached a point of no return Mayor Patricia de Lille said
Cape Town a popular tourist destination has been hit by its worst drought in a century Ms
De Lille warned that the city risked reaching Day Zero on 21 April when taps in homes
could run dry We can no longer ask people to stop wasting water We must force them
she said at a press conference Despite our urging for months 60 of Capetonians are
callously using more than 87 litres per day she added referring to the current daily limit A
person uses about 15 litres per minute for a typical shower and the same amount when
flushing a standard toilet according to WaterWise a South African water usage awareness
campaign BBC News
top of page
South Sudan Rift Valley fever suspected in South Sudan
VHF cluster 2 cases reported
16 January - Preliminary indications into South Sudans recent viral hemorrhagic fever
outbreak suggest that Rift Valley fever (RVF) may be the cause the World Health
17
Organization (WHO) Regional Office for Africa said in its latest outbreak and health
emergencies update The initial cluster included three patients from the same area of
Eastern Lakes state who had similar symptoms and died from their infections in December
hellip [T]wo more suspected human cases have been reported and involve an 18-year-old
pregnant woman who is a contact of a patient in the initial cluster and a 14-year-old girl
from a neighboring village who had no epidemiologic links to the original three cluster
patients State and national task forces have been activated The WHO said surveillance in
humans and animals needs to be strengthened in the area while efforts continue to confirm
the cause of the outbreak CIDRAP New Scan (first item)
top of page
Uganda Doctors in Uganda warn crisis level blood
shortage is putting lives at risk
16 January - Uganda is grappling with a critical shortage of blood that is affecting services
and putting patientsrsquo lives at risk The health ministryrsquos blood bank facility in the capital
Kampala which stores and distributes supplies to hospitals is practically empty It has just
150 units of blood remaining not enough to meet requirements on an average day in the
city Nationally Uganda needs at least 340000 units of safe blood annually but usually only
collects 200000 a year A six-day countrywide blood collection drive was launched by the
ministry on Monday The Uganda Medical Association an umbrella organisation of doctors
in public health facilities said the shortage was ldquoalmost [at] crisis levelrdquo resulting in the
cancellation of hospital operations and prioritisation of cases The Guardian
top of page
United Republic of Tanzania Cholera
12 January - From 15 August 2015 through 7 January 2018 33421 cases including 542
deaths (case fatality rate = 162) have been reported across all 26 regions of the United
Republic of Tanzania (Tanzania mainland and Zanzibar) Tanzania mainland has reported
86 of the total cases in this outbreak Children under five years old accounted for 114 of
cases Since the beginning of the outbreak over 7000 specimens have been tested for
cholera and 47 were positive for Vibrio cholerae by culture From 1 January 2017 through
31 December 4985 cases including 99 deaths have been reported in Tanzania Mainland
and Zanzibar The number of cases as well as geographical spread of cholera has markedly
reduced compared to the two previous years WHO
top of page
Zambia Zambia relaxes restrictions as cholera outbreak
slows
14 January - Zambia on Sunday relaxed rules imposed to curb the spread of cholera as the
number of new cases being reported has halved Health Minister Chitalu Chilufya said
Schools and some markets will be allowed to re-open Chilufya told a news conference in
Lusaka Police arrested 55 people in the capital on Friday after residents rioted over a curfew
18
and ban on street vending The outbreak has killed 74 people since Oct 4 including 68 in
Lusaka Chilufya said The number of new cases has fallen to around 80 from 164 a week
ago Of the more than 3200 cases reported in total more than 3000 have been in Lusaka
All government and private schools will re-open on Jan 22 but Zambiarsquos two largest public
universities will remain closed for now President Edgar Lungu last month directed the
military to clean markets and unblock drains to help to fight the spread of the waterborne
disease Reuters
top of page
USCENTCOM
Yemen UN hopes imports will help stave off famine in
Yemen as diphtheria spreads
16 January - United Nations aid agencies called on Tuesday for the Yemeni port of
Hodeidah to remain open beyond Friday the date set by a Saudi-led military coalition to
permit continued delivery of life-saving goods Yemen is the worldrsquos worst humanitarian
crisis where 83 million people are entirely dependent on external food aid and 400000
children suffer from severe acute malnutrition a potentially lethal condition they said hellip
More than 11 million Yemeni children - virtually all - need humanitarian assistance Relano
said UNICEF figures show 25000 Yemeni babies die at birth or before the age of one
month hellip A diphtheria outbreak in Yemen is ldquospreading quicklyrdquo with 678 cases and 48
associated deaths in four months Fadela Chaib of the World Health Organisation said
Reuters
top of page
USEUCOM
Ukraine Ukraine conflict has increased spread of HIV in
silent epidemic
16 January - The conflict in eastern Ukraine has increased the
spread of HIV throughout the country as people have been
uprooted by the violence a new study finds hellip Ukraine has
among the highest HIV rates in Europe with an estimated
220000 infected in a country of about 45 million hellip The study
says the HIV crisis in Ukraine has become a silent epidemic because half of HIV-infected
people are unaware they have the infection and around 40 percent of newly diagnosed
people are in the later stages of the disease hellip [A]n international team of scientists hellip
analyzed viral migration patterns in Ukraine from 2012 to 2015 They found a correlation
between the movement of 17 million people uprooted by the war and the spread of HIV
19
hellip The HIV epidemic has shifted from being associated with drug injections in the 1990s to
most new infections now being spread by sexual transmission the study found
Radio Free EuropeRadio Liberty
top of page
United Kingdom Britain appoints minister for loneliness
amid growing isolation
17 January - Britain has appointed a minister for loneliness to take forward the work of
murdered lawmaker Jo Cox and tackle the isolation felt by more than one in ten people in
the UK Sports minister Tracey Crouch will take on the new role [to] develop a strategy to
address the problem which research has linked with dementia early mortality and high
blood pressure hellip The majority of people over 75 live alone and about 200000 older people
in the UK have not had a conversation with a friend or relative in more than a month
according to government data Most doctors in Britain see between one and five patients a
day who have come mainly because they are lonely according to the Campaign to End
Loneliness Reuters
top of page
United Kingdom Measles outbreak spreading across
England warn health officials
16 January - Public health experts are urging parents to immunise their children against
measles as the potentially deadly bug has now spread to five regions in England With more
than 100 cases confirmed Public Health England warns that the UK could be on the verge
of an outbreak due to a rise in cases across Europe People who have recently visited
Romania Italy and Germany and have not been fully immunised against measles via the
MMR vaccine may be most at risk they said hellip However not all cases are being spread by
those who have visited countries included in the European outbreak a spokesperson for
Public Health England told The Independent We know that measles cases are showing a
link to importation from Europe where there are ongoing outbreaks but the cases are also
spreading within the UK in under-vaccinated communities they explained
The Independent
top of page
United Kingdom UK drugs regulator plays down Brexit
disruption threat
16 January - Britainrsquos drugs regulator said on Tuesday it would work to minimise disruption
caused by the country leaving the European Union as it tried to allay some of the worst
fears of pharmaceutical companies The highly regulated drugs industry is concerned about
Brexit fallout as the European Medicines Agency (EMA) relocates from London to
Amsterdam creating uncertainty about drug approvals after 2019 The Medicines and
Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) said in an update on its website that it
20
hoped to have a continuing relationship with the EMA after Brexit but if this did not happen
it would be ldquopragmaticrdquo in setting UK drug rules hellip The agency also noted that London and
Brussels agreed last month that ldquogoods placed on the market under Union law before the
withdrawal date may freely circulate on the markets of the UK and the Union with no need
for product modifications or re-labellingrdquo The Association of the British Pharmaceutical
Industry hellip warned that planning for a scenario where Britain had a separate regulatory
system required further detail Reuters
top of page
USNORTHCOM
US FDA expects IV fluid shortage to improve in coming
weeks months
16 January - The US Food and Drug Administration said on Tuesday it expects a shortage
of intravenous saline fluids for hospitals due to damage to key manufacturing facilities in
Puerto Rico to improve over the coming weeks and months FDA Commissioner Scott
Gottlieb said that the FDA has approved IV saline products from more companies which is
expected to boost US supply He said the tight supply of saline products had been
exacerbated by increased demand as a result of a worse-than-normal flu season At the
same time Gottlieb said the agency is concerned about a potential shortage of IV
containers as demand for empty IV containers increases as an alternative to filled bags
Reuters
top of page
US Mapping how the opioid epidemic sparked an HIV
outbreak
14 January - When people started to show up to Dr William Cookes primary care office in
Austin Ind in 2014 with HIV Cooke knew it was probably related to the regions opioid
epidemic But what he and the rest of the public health community didnt know was who
they were missing or how long the HIV outbreak had been going on Now theyve got a
clearer picture mdash literally In visualizations published in the Journal of Infectious Diseases
dots and lines define the constellations of Indianas HIV outbreak Using genetic
sequencing they show how long the outbreak had been going on connected people who
hadnt previously been linked by traditional methods and showed how the virus jumped
from a slowly spreading infection to a virus transmitted quickly via needle sharing and
other smaller sub-epidemics NPR
top of page
21
US More $$ needed for health emergencies senators
told 17 January - The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) needs more funding to
effectively prepare for public health emergencies an HHS official said at a Senate hearing
Wednesday We cant do more things with limited resources Robert Kadlec MD HHS
assistant secretary for preparedness and response told members of the Senate Health
Education Labor amp Pensions (HELP) Committee hellip We have a $33 trillion healthcare
system of which we invest $250 million for preparedness Its just a drop in the bucket
The hearing focused on the pending reauthorization of the Pandemic and All-Hazards
Preparedness Act (PAHPA) a 2006 law that established Kadlecs position at HHS and
implemented several programs aimed at getting the nation ready for emergencies such as
developing and acquiring drugs and vaccines to be used when needed MedPage Today
top of page
US National Academies report endorses lower BAC
higher alcohol taxes 18 January - Getting to Zero Alcohol-Impaired Driving Fatalities a new report from the
National Academies of Sciences Engineering and Medicine recommends reducing state
laws criminalizing alcohol-impaired driving from 008 to 005 percent blood alcohol
concentration (BAC) increasing alcohol taxes significantly and other actions to address the
persistent problem of alcohol-impaired driving deaths There are more than 10000 alcohol-
impaired driving fatalities annually in the United States and the report says stakeholders
that range from transportation systems to alcohol retailers to law enforcement should join
forces to implement policies and systems to eliminate these preventable deaths The
committee that conducted the study and wrote the report recommended a number of
actions lowering state laws on BAC raising alcohol taxes significantly strengthening policies
to prevent illegal alcohol sales to people under 21 and to already intoxicated adults
enacting all-offender ignition interlock laws and providing effective treatment for offenders
when needed Occupational Health and Safety
top of page
US NIH study shows steep increase in rate of alcohol-
related ER visits 12 January - The rate of alcohol-related visits to US emergency departments (ED) increased
by nearly 50 percent between 2006 and 2014 especially among females and drinkers who
are middle-aged or older according to a new study conducted by researchers at the
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) part of the National Institutes
of Health hellip These increases far outpaced changes in the number and rate of ED visits for
any cause during the years studied hellip Although men account for more alcohol-related ED
visits than women the rate of such visits increased more among females than males (53
percent versus 40 percent annually) over the study period NIH
top of page
22
US Number of Americans without health insurance
grows in Trumps first year new figures show 16 January - The number of Americans without health coverage which declined for years
after passage of the Affordable Care Act shot up in President Trumprsquos first year in office
according to data from a new national survey At the end of 2017 122 of US adults
lacked health insurance up from 109 at the end of 2016 as President Obama was
completing his final term The increase of 13 percentage points although modest marks
the first time since at least 2008 that the share of adults without insurance increased from
the previous year hellip The increase indicates that 32 million Americans lost health coverage
in 2017 Gallup concluded Los Angeles Times
top of page
US The Big Number 3500 infants die of sleep-related
issues 13 January - Thatrsquos the number of babies in the United States who die each year as the
result of a sleep-related issue according to a new report from the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention The causes vary but child health experts believe many of the
deaths would be preventable if more parents adhered to safe-sleep practices For instance
babies should be placed on their backs to sleep but the CDC found that 22 percent of
moms placed babies on their side or stomach Soft bedding mdash blankets pillows bumper
pads mdash should be kept out of the sleep area but 39 percent of moms said they used soft
bedding And itrsquos a good idea to share a room with an infant but not a bed with a baby Still
61 percent of moms told the CDC they had slept with their babies The Washington Post
top of page
US US faces oversupply of antibiotic-free chicken -
Sanderson Farms 16 January - Supplies of chicken raised without antibiotics are outstripping demand a major
US poultry producer said on Tuesday a sign of overproduction that could eat into
processorsrsquo profits Large chicken and restaurant companies including Tyson Foods Inc and
McDonaldrsquos Corp have raced to cut antibiotics from poultry supplies as public health
experts have warned about the link between use of the drugs in farms and the rise of drug-
resistant bacteria Antibiotic-free chickens made up an average of 405 percent of all fresh
US production for the first 10 months of 2017 Sanderson Farms Inc said in a regulatory
filing However only 64 percent of sales were for products sold as antibiotic-free (ABF)
according to Sanderson the third-largest US poultry producer Reuters
top of page
US US government to shield health workers under
religious freedom 18 January - The US government is seeking to further protect the ldquoconscience and religious
23
freedomrdquo of health workers whose beliefs prevent them from carrying out abortions and
other procedures in an effort likely to please conservative Christian activists and other
supporters of President Donald Trump The US Department of Health and Human Services
said on Thursday it will create a division within its Office of Civil Rights to give it ldquothe focus it
needs to more vigorously and effectively enforce existing laws protecting the rights of
conscience and religious freedomrdquo Healthcare workers hospitals with religious affiliations
and medical students among others have been ldquobulliedrdquo by the federal government to
provide these services despite existing laws on religious and conscience rights the top HHS
official said Reuters
top of page
USPACOM
Bangladesh Cold wave
12 January - Severe cold wave is sweeping over Bangladesh It was recorded the lowest in
Bangladeshrsquos history at 26 degrees yesterday in Tetulia Rangpur division hellip According to
the MET office the cold wave is likely to continue till January 14 and one or two more cold
waves are expected later this month hellip The cold wave has disrupted the lives of many in
northern Bangladesh Poor people particularly the farmers and rickshaw-pullers have been
affected badly Children and elderly people are the worst affected Twenty-seven (27)
persons have been reported dead ReliefWeb
top of page
Indonesia Indonesia sends military to help fight health
crisis in Papua
17 January - Indonesia is deploying military paramedics to carry food and vaccines to a
remote part of its easternmost province of Papua where reports say at least 61 infants died
from malnutrition and diseases such as measles hellip The situation in the remote Asmat
regency was an ldquoextraordinary incidentrdquo the health ministry said in a statement adding that
it was sending 39 health workers there The Indonesian military has sent 53 personnel
including paramedics besides medical equipment vaccines and 11100 packages of instant
food it added hellip ldquoThere is a link between the malnutrition and (catching) other diseasesrdquo
[Health Minister Nila] Moeloek added ldquoIf yoursquore undernourished you will get those
diseasesrdquo Reuters
top of page
Philippines Sanofi will reimburse Philippines
government for unused Dengvaxia
16 January - Yesterday Sanofi Pasteur the French pharmaceutical giant announced it will
reimburse the Philippines government for unused doses of Dengvaxia its controversial
24
dengue vaccine The announcement comes weeks after the company recommended the
vaccine not be used in people without prior dengue infections as it may prime dengue-
naive recipients for more severe infections More than 800000 Filipino children had already
received Dengvaxia when the recommendation was made Sanofi Pasteur has responded
positively to the Philippine Department of Healths (DoH) request that we provide
reimbursement for the doses of Dengvaxia that were not used by the government in the
public vaccination program the company said CIDRAP News Scan (third item)
top of page
USSOUTHCOM
Brazil WHO recommends yellow fever shot to Sao Paulo
visitors
16 January - The World Health Organization said on Tuesday that the whole of Sao Paulo
state which includes Brazilrsquos largest city Sao Paulo should be considered at risk for yellow
fever and recommended foreign travelers get vaccinated before visiting But Brazilrsquos Health
Ministry said the WHO recommendation coming just weeks before Carnival when tens of
thousands of tourists descend on Brazil would not cause it to change its advisory that only
travelers going to rural areas need to get vaccinated Deputy Health Minister Antonio Carlos
Nardi said Carnival celebrations in February were in urban areas and that visitors would not
be at risk if they stayed in cities Nardi said the number of cases had risen again this year
but that there was no outbreak of yellow fever in the country Reuters
top of page
25
US Military | Global | Influenza | VeterinaryFood Safety | Wellness | Contact Us
USAFRICOM | USCENTCOM | USEUCOM | USNORTHCOM | USPACOM | USSOUTHCOM
The Army Public Health Weekly Update does not analyze the information as to its strategic or tactical impact on the US Army and is not a medical
intelligence product Medical intelligence is available from the National Center for Medical Intelligence
External Links The appearance of external hyperlinks does not constitute endorsement by the US Army of this Web site or the information products
or services contained therein For other than authorized activities such as military exchanges and MWR sites the US Army does not exercise any
editorial control over the information you may find at these locations Such links are provided consistent with the stated purpose of this product
Although we avoid links to sites that may be blocked all sites may not be accessible from all locations While we verify the links at the time of
publication we cannot guarantee that they will be active in the future
Articles appearing in the Update do not necessarily represent US Army Medical Command opinionsviews policy or guidance and should not be
construed or interpreted as being endorsed by the US Army Medical Command
The Army Public Health Weekly Update is published by the Public Health Information Directorate Army Public Health Center
13
Pets Raw meat diets pose a risk to both animal and
human health
12 January - Experts are warning dog and cat owners to be
aware of the risks associated with feeding their pets raw meat-
based diets (RMBDs) instead of the more conventional dry or
canned pet foods hellip Of most concern however is the risk to
public or animal health due to contamination of RMBDs with
zoonotic bacteria and parasites that can pass between animals and humans hellip [A] team of
researchers based in The Netherlands say these diets may be contaminated with bacteria
and parasites and as such may pose a risk to both animal and human health hellip They
analysed 35 commercial frozen RMBDs from eight different brands widely available in The
Netherlands Escherichia coli O157 was isolated from eight products (23) Listeria species
were present in 15 products (43) and Salmonella species in seven products (20) Both E
coli O157 and Salmonella infections in humans have been linked with serious illnesses
Outbreak News Today
top of page
South Africa More Listeriosis cases and deaths Whatrsquos
being done
18 January - In just a matter of a few days the Listeriosis outbreak described as the ldquolargest
documented listeriosis outbreak South Africa has ever experiencedrdquo has grown by 19 cases
with a new outbreak total of 767 laboratory-confirmed listeriosis cases as of Jan 16 The
National Institute of Communicable Diseases (NICD) now puts the death toll at 81 hellip At
present the source of the outbreak is not known hellip The National Department of Health is hellip
interviewing all persons who have been diagnosed with Listeria to understand what food
they have eaten and identify trends Outbreak News Today
top of page
The parasite on the playground
16 January - Millions of American children have been
exposed to hellip parasites roundworms of the genus Toxocara
live in the intestines of cats and dogs especially strays
Microscopic eggs from Toxocara are shed in the animalsrsquo
feces contaminating yards playgrounds and sandboxes
These infectious particles cling to the hands of children
playing outside Once swallowed the eggs soon hatch releasing larvae that wriggle through
the body and evidence suggests may even reach the brain compromising learning and
cognition hellip The latest [CDC] report hellip estimated that about 5 percent of the United States
population mdash or about 16 million people mdash carry Toxocara antibodies in their blood a sign
they have ingested the eggs But the risk is not evenly shared Poor and minority
populations are more often exposed The rate among African Americans was almost 7
14
percent according to the CDC Among people living below the poverty line the infection
rate was 10 percent The New York Times
top of page
WELLNESS
Current cigarette smoking among adults mdash United States
2016
19 January - hellip The proportion of US adults who smoke cigarettes declined from 209 in
2005 (451 million smokers) to 155 in 2016 (378 million smokers) but cigarette smoking
prevalence did not change significantly during 2015ndash2016 Sociodemographic disparities in
cigarette smoking persist During 2005ndash2016 increases occurred in the proportion of adult
ever smokers who quit smoking (508 to 590) Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report
top of page
Cycling does not harm mens sexual health study says
12 January - Cycling does not negatively affect mens
sexual health or urinary function a study has found
Researchers compared cyclists with runners and
swimmers and found their sexual and urinary health was
comparable The findings contrasted with previous
studies that suggested cycling could negatively affect mens sexual function the studys
authors said They said the benefits to cycling far outweigh the risks hellip Sexual health and
urinary function were comparable in all three groups researchers said although some
cyclists were more prone to urethral strictures - a narrowing of the urethra hellip The cyclists
did have statistically significant higher odds of genital numbness the study found
BBC News
top of page
Obesity shaved almost a year off US life expectancy
study says
16 January - Rising obesity rates in the US may be responsible for as many as 186000
deaths per year according to a new analysis The US has seen only relatively modest
improvements in mortality rates over the past couple decades despite public health
victories including major reductions in smoking Death rates tied to cardiovascular disease
cancer and other chronic illnesses for example declined more slowly in the US than in any
of 13 similarly developed nations between 1999 and 2015 Researchers hellip thought rising
obesity rates might have something to do with it so they pored over two subsequent
editions of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Study (NHANES) and the
associated death records Increases in obesity according to the paper slowed gains in
15
mortality rates by 054 between 1988 and 2011 shaving an estimated 09 years off the
national life expectancy at age 40 and resulting in as many as 186000 additional deaths in
2011 alone Time
top of page
Researchers probe stomach surgeryrsquos lsquomiraclersquo secrets
17 January - Nima Saeidi an assistant professor of surgery at Harvard Medical School and
Massachusetts General Hospital and a member of the Center for Engineering in Medicine
had started down one career path when a lecture on Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery
redirected him The MGH lecture outlined not just the procedurersquos striking effectiveness for
weight loss hellip but also its promise against diabetes high blood pressure cholesterol and
fatty-food cravings hellip The idea of a compound that mimics the positives of Roux-en-Y is
particularly enticing amid twin national epidemics of obesity and diabetes The surgery
has been shown to affect insulin sensitivity and production of the hunger hormones ghrelin
and leptin It also alters the composition of a patientrsquos microbiome hellip Saeidi and colleagues
have turned to new rodent models spectroscopic instruments and novel informatics
techniques that shift inquiry from a traditional hypothesis-based step-by-step exploration
to one that seeks to reverse-engineer the problem by searching broadly for postoperative
chemical changes in the body and then working to understand them Harvard Gazette
top of page
Wal-Mart launches program to safely dispose of unused
opioids
17 January - The company said patients filling any new class II opioid prescriptions at its
pharmacies will receive a free packet of the product - called DisposeRx - when filling a new
prescription hellip People filling prescriptions at Samrsquos Club can also get DisposeRx at their
pharmacies In order to safely dispose of opioids patients would add warm water and the
DisposeRx powder to their pill bottle which then forms a biodegradable gel around the
pills Reuters
top of page
USAFRICOM
Democratic Republic of the Congo Five cases of vaccine-
derived polio detected in DRC
12 January - In an advance notification the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) said
there are five new cases of vaccine-derived polio from the Democratic Republic of the
Congo (DRC) hellip These are the first cases reported from the DRC in 2018 but illness onset
dates havent yet been recorded For 2017 there were 12 cases of circulating vaccine-
derived poliovirus type 2 (cVDPV2) in the DRC and 74 reported in Syria hellip In other polio
news Science published an article today describing the increasing number of polio
16
environmental samples found in Pakistan despite the dwindling number of human cases
The authors said the increasing samples could be sign that polio is on its last legs in that
country before eradication CIDRAP News Scan (fourth item)
top of page
Namibia Hepatitis E
15 January - During the week ending on 13 October 2017 the first identified case was
admitted to a public hospital in Windhoek district with signs and symptoms of hepatitis E
During the week ending on 8 January 2018 a total of 237 probable and confirmed cases
have been seen at various health facilities in Windhoek district with the same signs and
symptoms All suspected patients tested negative for hepatitis A B and C A total of 41 of
the 237 cases were sent for further testing and on 8 January 2018 the results showed 21
were IgM positive for hepatitis E WHO
top of page
Nigeria 3 die from Lassa fever in Ebonyi State
16 January - Four cases of Lassa fever were reported among health care workers in Ebonyi
State in southeastern Nigeria with three passing away from the lethal viral disease
the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) said The Honorable Minister of Health
Professor Isaac Adewole immediately requested that NCDC provides support to the
Government of Ebonyi State to investigate and respond to this cluster of cases
Outbreak News Today
top of page
South Africa Cape Town slashes water use amid drought
18 January - The South African city of Cape Town will slash residents water allowance to 50
litres a day from next month amid fears that it could become the worlds first major city to
run out of water The city had reached a point of no return Mayor Patricia de Lille said
Cape Town a popular tourist destination has been hit by its worst drought in a century Ms
De Lille warned that the city risked reaching Day Zero on 21 April when taps in homes
could run dry We can no longer ask people to stop wasting water We must force them
she said at a press conference Despite our urging for months 60 of Capetonians are
callously using more than 87 litres per day she added referring to the current daily limit A
person uses about 15 litres per minute for a typical shower and the same amount when
flushing a standard toilet according to WaterWise a South African water usage awareness
campaign BBC News
top of page
South Sudan Rift Valley fever suspected in South Sudan
VHF cluster 2 cases reported
16 January - Preliminary indications into South Sudans recent viral hemorrhagic fever
outbreak suggest that Rift Valley fever (RVF) may be the cause the World Health
17
Organization (WHO) Regional Office for Africa said in its latest outbreak and health
emergencies update The initial cluster included three patients from the same area of
Eastern Lakes state who had similar symptoms and died from their infections in December
hellip [T]wo more suspected human cases have been reported and involve an 18-year-old
pregnant woman who is a contact of a patient in the initial cluster and a 14-year-old girl
from a neighboring village who had no epidemiologic links to the original three cluster
patients State and national task forces have been activated The WHO said surveillance in
humans and animals needs to be strengthened in the area while efforts continue to confirm
the cause of the outbreak CIDRAP New Scan (first item)
top of page
Uganda Doctors in Uganda warn crisis level blood
shortage is putting lives at risk
16 January - Uganda is grappling with a critical shortage of blood that is affecting services
and putting patientsrsquo lives at risk The health ministryrsquos blood bank facility in the capital
Kampala which stores and distributes supplies to hospitals is practically empty It has just
150 units of blood remaining not enough to meet requirements on an average day in the
city Nationally Uganda needs at least 340000 units of safe blood annually but usually only
collects 200000 a year A six-day countrywide blood collection drive was launched by the
ministry on Monday The Uganda Medical Association an umbrella organisation of doctors
in public health facilities said the shortage was ldquoalmost [at] crisis levelrdquo resulting in the
cancellation of hospital operations and prioritisation of cases The Guardian
top of page
United Republic of Tanzania Cholera
12 January - From 15 August 2015 through 7 January 2018 33421 cases including 542
deaths (case fatality rate = 162) have been reported across all 26 regions of the United
Republic of Tanzania (Tanzania mainland and Zanzibar) Tanzania mainland has reported
86 of the total cases in this outbreak Children under five years old accounted for 114 of
cases Since the beginning of the outbreak over 7000 specimens have been tested for
cholera and 47 were positive for Vibrio cholerae by culture From 1 January 2017 through
31 December 4985 cases including 99 deaths have been reported in Tanzania Mainland
and Zanzibar The number of cases as well as geographical spread of cholera has markedly
reduced compared to the two previous years WHO
top of page
Zambia Zambia relaxes restrictions as cholera outbreak
slows
14 January - Zambia on Sunday relaxed rules imposed to curb the spread of cholera as the
number of new cases being reported has halved Health Minister Chitalu Chilufya said
Schools and some markets will be allowed to re-open Chilufya told a news conference in
Lusaka Police arrested 55 people in the capital on Friday after residents rioted over a curfew
18
and ban on street vending The outbreak has killed 74 people since Oct 4 including 68 in
Lusaka Chilufya said The number of new cases has fallen to around 80 from 164 a week
ago Of the more than 3200 cases reported in total more than 3000 have been in Lusaka
All government and private schools will re-open on Jan 22 but Zambiarsquos two largest public
universities will remain closed for now President Edgar Lungu last month directed the
military to clean markets and unblock drains to help to fight the spread of the waterborne
disease Reuters
top of page
USCENTCOM
Yemen UN hopes imports will help stave off famine in
Yemen as diphtheria spreads
16 January - United Nations aid agencies called on Tuesday for the Yemeni port of
Hodeidah to remain open beyond Friday the date set by a Saudi-led military coalition to
permit continued delivery of life-saving goods Yemen is the worldrsquos worst humanitarian
crisis where 83 million people are entirely dependent on external food aid and 400000
children suffer from severe acute malnutrition a potentially lethal condition they said hellip
More than 11 million Yemeni children - virtually all - need humanitarian assistance Relano
said UNICEF figures show 25000 Yemeni babies die at birth or before the age of one
month hellip A diphtheria outbreak in Yemen is ldquospreading quicklyrdquo with 678 cases and 48
associated deaths in four months Fadela Chaib of the World Health Organisation said
Reuters
top of page
USEUCOM
Ukraine Ukraine conflict has increased spread of HIV in
silent epidemic
16 January - The conflict in eastern Ukraine has increased the
spread of HIV throughout the country as people have been
uprooted by the violence a new study finds hellip Ukraine has
among the highest HIV rates in Europe with an estimated
220000 infected in a country of about 45 million hellip The study
says the HIV crisis in Ukraine has become a silent epidemic because half of HIV-infected
people are unaware they have the infection and around 40 percent of newly diagnosed
people are in the later stages of the disease hellip [A]n international team of scientists hellip
analyzed viral migration patterns in Ukraine from 2012 to 2015 They found a correlation
between the movement of 17 million people uprooted by the war and the spread of HIV
19
hellip The HIV epidemic has shifted from being associated with drug injections in the 1990s to
most new infections now being spread by sexual transmission the study found
Radio Free EuropeRadio Liberty
top of page
United Kingdom Britain appoints minister for loneliness
amid growing isolation
17 January - Britain has appointed a minister for loneliness to take forward the work of
murdered lawmaker Jo Cox and tackle the isolation felt by more than one in ten people in
the UK Sports minister Tracey Crouch will take on the new role [to] develop a strategy to
address the problem which research has linked with dementia early mortality and high
blood pressure hellip The majority of people over 75 live alone and about 200000 older people
in the UK have not had a conversation with a friend or relative in more than a month
according to government data Most doctors in Britain see between one and five patients a
day who have come mainly because they are lonely according to the Campaign to End
Loneliness Reuters
top of page
United Kingdom Measles outbreak spreading across
England warn health officials
16 January - Public health experts are urging parents to immunise their children against
measles as the potentially deadly bug has now spread to five regions in England With more
than 100 cases confirmed Public Health England warns that the UK could be on the verge
of an outbreak due to a rise in cases across Europe People who have recently visited
Romania Italy and Germany and have not been fully immunised against measles via the
MMR vaccine may be most at risk they said hellip However not all cases are being spread by
those who have visited countries included in the European outbreak a spokesperson for
Public Health England told The Independent We know that measles cases are showing a
link to importation from Europe where there are ongoing outbreaks but the cases are also
spreading within the UK in under-vaccinated communities they explained
The Independent
top of page
United Kingdom UK drugs regulator plays down Brexit
disruption threat
16 January - Britainrsquos drugs regulator said on Tuesday it would work to minimise disruption
caused by the country leaving the European Union as it tried to allay some of the worst
fears of pharmaceutical companies The highly regulated drugs industry is concerned about
Brexit fallout as the European Medicines Agency (EMA) relocates from London to
Amsterdam creating uncertainty about drug approvals after 2019 The Medicines and
Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) said in an update on its website that it
20
hoped to have a continuing relationship with the EMA after Brexit but if this did not happen
it would be ldquopragmaticrdquo in setting UK drug rules hellip The agency also noted that London and
Brussels agreed last month that ldquogoods placed on the market under Union law before the
withdrawal date may freely circulate on the markets of the UK and the Union with no need
for product modifications or re-labellingrdquo The Association of the British Pharmaceutical
Industry hellip warned that planning for a scenario where Britain had a separate regulatory
system required further detail Reuters
top of page
USNORTHCOM
US FDA expects IV fluid shortage to improve in coming
weeks months
16 January - The US Food and Drug Administration said on Tuesday it expects a shortage
of intravenous saline fluids for hospitals due to damage to key manufacturing facilities in
Puerto Rico to improve over the coming weeks and months FDA Commissioner Scott
Gottlieb said that the FDA has approved IV saline products from more companies which is
expected to boost US supply He said the tight supply of saline products had been
exacerbated by increased demand as a result of a worse-than-normal flu season At the
same time Gottlieb said the agency is concerned about a potential shortage of IV
containers as demand for empty IV containers increases as an alternative to filled bags
Reuters
top of page
US Mapping how the opioid epidemic sparked an HIV
outbreak
14 January - When people started to show up to Dr William Cookes primary care office in
Austin Ind in 2014 with HIV Cooke knew it was probably related to the regions opioid
epidemic But what he and the rest of the public health community didnt know was who
they were missing or how long the HIV outbreak had been going on Now theyve got a
clearer picture mdash literally In visualizations published in the Journal of Infectious Diseases
dots and lines define the constellations of Indianas HIV outbreak Using genetic
sequencing they show how long the outbreak had been going on connected people who
hadnt previously been linked by traditional methods and showed how the virus jumped
from a slowly spreading infection to a virus transmitted quickly via needle sharing and
other smaller sub-epidemics NPR
top of page
21
US More $$ needed for health emergencies senators
told 17 January - The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) needs more funding to
effectively prepare for public health emergencies an HHS official said at a Senate hearing
Wednesday We cant do more things with limited resources Robert Kadlec MD HHS
assistant secretary for preparedness and response told members of the Senate Health
Education Labor amp Pensions (HELP) Committee hellip We have a $33 trillion healthcare
system of which we invest $250 million for preparedness Its just a drop in the bucket
The hearing focused on the pending reauthorization of the Pandemic and All-Hazards
Preparedness Act (PAHPA) a 2006 law that established Kadlecs position at HHS and
implemented several programs aimed at getting the nation ready for emergencies such as
developing and acquiring drugs and vaccines to be used when needed MedPage Today
top of page
US National Academies report endorses lower BAC
higher alcohol taxes 18 January - Getting to Zero Alcohol-Impaired Driving Fatalities a new report from the
National Academies of Sciences Engineering and Medicine recommends reducing state
laws criminalizing alcohol-impaired driving from 008 to 005 percent blood alcohol
concentration (BAC) increasing alcohol taxes significantly and other actions to address the
persistent problem of alcohol-impaired driving deaths There are more than 10000 alcohol-
impaired driving fatalities annually in the United States and the report says stakeholders
that range from transportation systems to alcohol retailers to law enforcement should join
forces to implement policies and systems to eliminate these preventable deaths The
committee that conducted the study and wrote the report recommended a number of
actions lowering state laws on BAC raising alcohol taxes significantly strengthening policies
to prevent illegal alcohol sales to people under 21 and to already intoxicated adults
enacting all-offender ignition interlock laws and providing effective treatment for offenders
when needed Occupational Health and Safety
top of page
US NIH study shows steep increase in rate of alcohol-
related ER visits 12 January - The rate of alcohol-related visits to US emergency departments (ED) increased
by nearly 50 percent between 2006 and 2014 especially among females and drinkers who
are middle-aged or older according to a new study conducted by researchers at the
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) part of the National Institutes
of Health hellip These increases far outpaced changes in the number and rate of ED visits for
any cause during the years studied hellip Although men account for more alcohol-related ED
visits than women the rate of such visits increased more among females than males (53
percent versus 40 percent annually) over the study period NIH
top of page
22
US Number of Americans without health insurance
grows in Trumps first year new figures show 16 January - The number of Americans without health coverage which declined for years
after passage of the Affordable Care Act shot up in President Trumprsquos first year in office
according to data from a new national survey At the end of 2017 122 of US adults
lacked health insurance up from 109 at the end of 2016 as President Obama was
completing his final term The increase of 13 percentage points although modest marks
the first time since at least 2008 that the share of adults without insurance increased from
the previous year hellip The increase indicates that 32 million Americans lost health coverage
in 2017 Gallup concluded Los Angeles Times
top of page
US The Big Number 3500 infants die of sleep-related
issues 13 January - Thatrsquos the number of babies in the United States who die each year as the
result of a sleep-related issue according to a new report from the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention The causes vary but child health experts believe many of the
deaths would be preventable if more parents adhered to safe-sleep practices For instance
babies should be placed on their backs to sleep but the CDC found that 22 percent of
moms placed babies on their side or stomach Soft bedding mdash blankets pillows bumper
pads mdash should be kept out of the sleep area but 39 percent of moms said they used soft
bedding And itrsquos a good idea to share a room with an infant but not a bed with a baby Still
61 percent of moms told the CDC they had slept with their babies The Washington Post
top of page
US US faces oversupply of antibiotic-free chicken -
Sanderson Farms 16 January - Supplies of chicken raised without antibiotics are outstripping demand a major
US poultry producer said on Tuesday a sign of overproduction that could eat into
processorsrsquo profits Large chicken and restaurant companies including Tyson Foods Inc and
McDonaldrsquos Corp have raced to cut antibiotics from poultry supplies as public health
experts have warned about the link between use of the drugs in farms and the rise of drug-
resistant bacteria Antibiotic-free chickens made up an average of 405 percent of all fresh
US production for the first 10 months of 2017 Sanderson Farms Inc said in a regulatory
filing However only 64 percent of sales were for products sold as antibiotic-free (ABF)
according to Sanderson the third-largest US poultry producer Reuters
top of page
US US government to shield health workers under
religious freedom 18 January - The US government is seeking to further protect the ldquoconscience and religious
23
freedomrdquo of health workers whose beliefs prevent them from carrying out abortions and
other procedures in an effort likely to please conservative Christian activists and other
supporters of President Donald Trump The US Department of Health and Human Services
said on Thursday it will create a division within its Office of Civil Rights to give it ldquothe focus it
needs to more vigorously and effectively enforce existing laws protecting the rights of
conscience and religious freedomrdquo Healthcare workers hospitals with religious affiliations
and medical students among others have been ldquobulliedrdquo by the federal government to
provide these services despite existing laws on religious and conscience rights the top HHS
official said Reuters
top of page
USPACOM
Bangladesh Cold wave
12 January - Severe cold wave is sweeping over Bangladesh It was recorded the lowest in
Bangladeshrsquos history at 26 degrees yesterday in Tetulia Rangpur division hellip According to
the MET office the cold wave is likely to continue till January 14 and one or two more cold
waves are expected later this month hellip The cold wave has disrupted the lives of many in
northern Bangladesh Poor people particularly the farmers and rickshaw-pullers have been
affected badly Children and elderly people are the worst affected Twenty-seven (27)
persons have been reported dead ReliefWeb
top of page
Indonesia Indonesia sends military to help fight health
crisis in Papua
17 January - Indonesia is deploying military paramedics to carry food and vaccines to a
remote part of its easternmost province of Papua where reports say at least 61 infants died
from malnutrition and diseases such as measles hellip The situation in the remote Asmat
regency was an ldquoextraordinary incidentrdquo the health ministry said in a statement adding that
it was sending 39 health workers there The Indonesian military has sent 53 personnel
including paramedics besides medical equipment vaccines and 11100 packages of instant
food it added hellip ldquoThere is a link between the malnutrition and (catching) other diseasesrdquo
[Health Minister Nila] Moeloek added ldquoIf yoursquore undernourished you will get those
diseasesrdquo Reuters
top of page
Philippines Sanofi will reimburse Philippines
government for unused Dengvaxia
16 January - Yesterday Sanofi Pasteur the French pharmaceutical giant announced it will
reimburse the Philippines government for unused doses of Dengvaxia its controversial
24
dengue vaccine The announcement comes weeks after the company recommended the
vaccine not be used in people without prior dengue infections as it may prime dengue-
naive recipients for more severe infections More than 800000 Filipino children had already
received Dengvaxia when the recommendation was made Sanofi Pasteur has responded
positively to the Philippine Department of Healths (DoH) request that we provide
reimbursement for the doses of Dengvaxia that were not used by the government in the
public vaccination program the company said CIDRAP News Scan (third item)
top of page
USSOUTHCOM
Brazil WHO recommends yellow fever shot to Sao Paulo
visitors
16 January - The World Health Organization said on Tuesday that the whole of Sao Paulo
state which includes Brazilrsquos largest city Sao Paulo should be considered at risk for yellow
fever and recommended foreign travelers get vaccinated before visiting But Brazilrsquos Health
Ministry said the WHO recommendation coming just weeks before Carnival when tens of
thousands of tourists descend on Brazil would not cause it to change its advisory that only
travelers going to rural areas need to get vaccinated Deputy Health Minister Antonio Carlos
Nardi said Carnival celebrations in February were in urban areas and that visitors would not
be at risk if they stayed in cities Nardi said the number of cases had risen again this year
but that there was no outbreak of yellow fever in the country Reuters
top of page
25
US Military | Global | Influenza | VeterinaryFood Safety | Wellness | Contact Us
USAFRICOM | USCENTCOM | USEUCOM | USNORTHCOM | USPACOM | USSOUTHCOM
The Army Public Health Weekly Update does not analyze the information as to its strategic or tactical impact on the US Army and is not a medical
intelligence product Medical intelligence is available from the National Center for Medical Intelligence
External Links The appearance of external hyperlinks does not constitute endorsement by the US Army of this Web site or the information products
or services contained therein For other than authorized activities such as military exchanges and MWR sites the US Army does not exercise any
editorial control over the information you may find at these locations Such links are provided consistent with the stated purpose of this product
Although we avoid links to sites that may be blocked all sites may not be accessible from all locations While we verify the links at the time of
publication we cannot guarantee that they will be active in the future
Articles appearing in the Update do not necessarily represent US Army Medical Command opinionsviews policy or guidance and should not be
construed or interpreted as being endorsed by the US Army Medical Command
The Army Public Health Weekly Update is published by the Public Health Information Directorate Army Public Health Center
14
percent according to the CDC Among people living below the poverty line the infection
rate was 10 percent The New York Times
top of page
WELLNESS
Current cigarette smoking among adults mdash United States
2016
19 January - hellip The proportion of US adults who smoke cigarettes declined from 209 in
2005 (451 million smokers) to 155 in 2016 (378 million smokers) but cigarette smoking
prevalence did not change significantly during 2015ndash2016 Sociodemographic disparities in
cigarette smoking persist During 2005ndash2016 increases occurred in the proportion of adult
ever smokers who quit smoking (508 to 590) Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report
top of page
Cycling does not harm mens sexual health study says
12 January - Cycling does not negatively affect mens
sexual health or urinary function a study has found
Researchers compared cyclists with runners and
swimmers and found their sexual and urinary health was
comparable The findings contrasted with previous
studies that suggested cycling could negatively affect mens sexual function the studys
authors said They said the benefits to cycling far outweigh the risks hellip Sexual health and
urinary function were comparable in all three groups researchers said although some
cyclists were more prone to urethral strictures - a narrowing of the urethra hellip The cyclists
did have statistically significant higher odds of genital numbness the study found
BBC News
top of page
Obesity shaved almost a year off US life expectancy
study says
16 January - Rising obesity rates in the US may be responsible for as many as 186000
deaths per year according to a new analysis The US has seen only relatively modest
improvements in mortality rates over the past couple decades despite public health
victories including major reductions in smoking Death rates tied to cardiovascular disease
cancer and other chronic illnesses for example declined more slowly in the US than in any
of 13 similarly developed nations between 1999 and 2015 Researchers hellip thought rising
obesity rates might have something to do with it so they pored over two subsequent
editions of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Study (NHANES) and the
associated death records Increases in obesity according to the paper slowed gains in
15
mortality rates by 054 between 1988 and 2011 shaving an estimated 09 years off the
national life expectancy at age 40 and resulting in as many as 186000 additional deaths in
2011 alone Time
top of page
Researchers probe stomach surgeryrsquos lsquomiraclersquo secrets
17 January - Nima Saeidi an assistant professor of surgery at Harvard Medical School and
Massachusetts General Hospital and a member of the Center for Engineering in Medicine
had started down one career path when a lecture on Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery
redirected him The MGH lecture outlined not just the procedurersquos striking effectiveness for
weight loss hellip but also its promise against diabetes high blood pressure cholesterol and
fatty-food cravings hellip The idea of a compound that mimics the positives of Roux-en-Y is
particularly enticing amid twin national epidemics of obesity and diabetes The surgery
has been shown to affect insulin sensitivity and production of the hunger hormones ghrelin
and leptin It also alters the composition of a patientrsquos microbiome hellip Saeidi and colleagues
have turned to new rodent models spectroscopic instruments and novel informatics
techniques that shift inquiry from a traditional hypothesis-based step-by-step exploration
to one that seeks to reverse-engineer the problem by searching broadly for postoperative
chemical changes in the body and then working to understand them Harvard Gazette
top of page
Wal-Mart launches program to safely dispose of unused
opioids
17 January - The company said patients filling any new class II opioid prescriptions at its
pharmacies will receive a free packet of the product - called DisposeRx - when filling a new
prescription hellip People filling prescriptions at Samrsquos Club can also get DisposeRx at their
pharmacies In order to safely dispose of opioids patients would add warm water and the
DisposeRx powder to their pill bottle which then forms a biodegradable gel around the
pills Reuters
top of page
USAFRICOM
Democratic Republic of the Congo Five cases of vaccine-
derived polio detected in DRC
12 January - In an advance notification the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) said
there are five new cases of vaccine-derived polio from the Democratic Republic of the
Congo (DRC) hellip These are the first cases reported from the DRC in 2018 but illness onset
dates havent yet been recorded For 2017 there were 12 cases of circulating vaccine-
derived poliovirus type 2 (cVDPV2) in the DRC and 74 reported in Syria hellip In other polio
news Science published an article today describing the increasing number of polio
16
environmental samples found in Pakistan despite the dwindling number of human cases
The authors said the increasing samples could be sign that polio is on its last legs in that
country before eradication CIDRAP News Scan (fourth item)
top of page
Namibia Hepatitis E
15 January - During the week ending on 13 October 2017 the first identified case was
admitted to a public hospital in Windhoek district with signs and symptoms of hepatitis E
During the week ending on 8 January 2018 a total of 237 probable and confirmed cases
have been seen at various health facilities in Windhoek district with the same signs and
symptoms All suspected patients tested negative for hepatitis A B and C A total of 41 of
the 237 cases were sent for further testing and on 8 January 2018 the results showed 21
were IgM positive for hepatitis E WHO
top of page
Nigeria 3 die from Lassa fever in Ebonyi State
16 January - Four cases of Lassa fever were reported among health care workers in Ebonyi
State in southeastern Nigeria with three passing away from the lethal viral disease
the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) said The Honorable Minister of Health
Professor Isaac Adewole immediately requested that NCDC provides support to the
Government of Ebonyi State to investigate and respond to this cluster of cases
Outbreak News Today
top of page
South Africa Cape Town slashes water use amid drought
18 January - The South African city of Cape Town will slash residents water allowance to 50
litres a day from next month amid fears that it could become the worlds first major city to
run out of water The city had reached a point of no return Mayor Patricia de Lille said
Cape Town a popular tourist destination has been hit by its worst drought in a century Ms
De Lille warned that the city risked reaching Day Zero on 21 April when taps in homes
could run dry We can no longer ask people to stop wasting water We must force them
she said at a press conference Despite our urging for months 60 of Capetonians are
callously using more than 87 litres per day she added referring to the current daily limit A
person uses about 15 litres per minute for a typical shower and the same amount when
flushing a standard toilet according to WaterWise a South African water usage awareness
campaign BBC News
top of page
South Sudan Rift Valley fever suspected in South Sudan
VHF cluster 2 cases reported
16 January - Preliminary indications into South Sudans recent viral hemorrhagic fever
outbreak suggest that Rift Valley fever (RVF) may be the cause the World Health
17
Organization (WHO) Regional Office for Africa said in its latest outbreak and health
emergencies update The initial cluster included three patients from the same area of
Eastern Lakes state who had similar symptoms and died from their infections in December
hellip [T]wo more suspected human cases have been reported and involve an 18-year-old
pregnant woman who is a contact of a patient in the initial cluster and a 14-year-old girl
from a neighboring village who had no epidemiologic links to the original three cluster
patients State and national task forces have been activated The WHO said surveillance in
humans and animals needs to be strengthened in the area while efforts continue to confirm
the cause of the outbreak CIDRAP New Scan (first item)
top of page
Uganda Doctors in Uganda warn crisis level blood
shortage is putting lives at risk
16 January - Uganda is grappling with a critical shortage of blood that is affecting services
and putting patientsrsquo lives at risk The health ministryrsquos blood bank facility in the capital
Kampala which stores and distributes supplies to hospitals is practically empty It has just
150 units of blood remaining not enough to meet requirements on an average day in the
city Nationally Uganda needs at least 340000 units of safe blood annually but usually only
collects 200000 a year A six-day countrywide blood collection drive was launched by the
ministry on Monday The Uganda Medical Association an umbrella organisation of doctors
in public health facilities said the shortage was ldquoalmost [at] crisis levelrdquo resulting in the
cancellation of hospital operations and prioritisation of cases The Guardian
top of page
United Republic of Tanzania Cholera
12 January - From 15 August 2015 through 7 January 2018 33421 cases including 542
deaths (case fatality rate = 162) have been reported across all 26 regions of the United
Republic of Tanzania (Tanzania mainland and Zanzibar) Tanzania mainland has reported
86 of the total cases in this outbreak Children under five years old accounted for 114 of
cases Since the beginning of the outbreak over 7000 specimens have been tested for
cholera and 47 were positive for Vibrio cholerae by culture From 1 January 2017 through
31 December 4985 cases including 99 deaths have been reported in Tanzania Mainland
and Zanzibar The number of cases as well as geographical spread of cholera has markedly
reduced compared to the two previous years WHO
top of page
Zambia Zambia relaxes restrictions as cholera outbreak
slows
14 January - Zambia on Sunday relaxed rules imposed to curb the spread of cholera as the
number of new cases being reported has halved Health Minister Chitalu Chilufya said
Schools and some markets will be allowed to re-open Chilufya told a news conference in
Lusaka Police arrested 55 people in the capital on Friday after residents rioted over a curfew
18
and ban on street vending The outbreak has killed 74 people since Oct 4 including 68 in
Lusaka Chilufya said The number of new cases has fallen to around 80 from 164 a week
ago Of the more than 3200 cases reported in total more than 3000 have been in Lusaka
All government and private schools will re-open on Jan 22 but Zambiarsquos two largest public
universities will remain closed for now President Edgar Lungu last month directed the
military to clean markets and unblock drains to help to fight the spread of the waterborne
disease Reuters
top of page
USCENTCOM
Yemen UN hopes imports will help stave off famine in
Yemen as diphtheria spreads
16 January - United Nations aid agencies called on Tuesday for the Yemeni port of
Hodeidah to remain open beyond Friday the date set by a Saudi-led military coalition to
permit continued delivery of life-saving goods Yemen is the worldrsquos worst humanitarian
crisis where 83 million people are entirely dependent on external food aid and 400000
children suffer from severe acute malnutrition a potentially lethal condition they said hellip
More than 11 million Yemeni children - virtually all - need humanitarian assistance Relano
said UNICEF figures show 25000 Yemeni babies die at birth or before the age of one
month hellip A diphtheria outbreak in Yemen is ldquospreading quicklyrdquo with 678 cases and 48
associated deaths in four months Fadela Chaib of the World Health Organisation said
Reuters
top of page
USEUCOM
Ukraine Ukraine conflict has increased spread of HIV in
silent epidemic
16 January - The conflict in eastern Ukraine has increased the
spread of HIV throughout the country as people have been
uprooted by the violence a new study finds hellip Ukraine has
among the highest HIV rates in Europe with an estimated
220000 infected in a country of about 45 million hellip The study
says the HIV crisis in Ukraine has become a silent epidemic because half of HIV-infected
people are unaware they have the infection and around 40 percent of newly diagnosed
people are in the later stages of the disease hellip [A]n international team of scientists hellip
analyzed viral migration patterns in Ukraine from 2012 to 2015 They found a correlation
between the movement of 17 million people uprooted by the war and the spread of HIV
19
hellip The HIV epidemic has shifted from being associated with drug injections in the 1990s to
most new infections now being spread by sexual transmission the study found
Radio Free EuropeRadio Liberty
top of page
United Kingdom Britain appoints minister for loneliness
amid growing isolation
17 January - Britain has appointed a minister for loneliness to take forward the work of
murdered lawmaker Jo Cox and tackle the isolation felt by more than one in ten people in
the UK Sports minister Tracey Crouch will take on the new role [to] develop a strategy to
address the problem which research has linked with dementia early mortality and high
blood pressure hellip The majority of people over 75 live alone and about 200000 older people
in the UK have not had a conversation with a friend or relative in more than a month
according to government data Most doctors in Britain see between one and five patients a
day who have come mainly because they are lonely according to the Campaign to End
Loneliness Reuters
top of page
United Kingdom Measles outbreak spreading across
England warn health officials
16 January - Public health experts are urging parents to immunise their children against
measles as the potentially deadly bug has now spread to five regions in England With more
than 100 cases confirmed Public Health England warns that the UK could be on the verge
of an outbreak due to a rise in cases across Europe People who have recently visited
Romania Italy and Germany and have not been fully immunised against measles via the
MMR vaccine may be most at risk they said hellip However not all cases are being spread by
those who have visited countries included in the European outbreak a spokesperson for
Public Health England told The Independent We know that measles cases are showing a
link to importation from Europe where there are ongoing outbreaks but the cases are also
spreading within the UK in under-vaccinated communities they explained
The Independent
top of page
United Kingdom UK drugs regulator plays down Brexit
disruption threat
16 January - Britainrsquos drugs regulator said on Tuesday it would work to minimise disruption
caused by the country leaving the European Union as it tried to allay some of the worst
fears of pharmaceutical companies The highly regulated drugs industry is concerned about
Brexit fallout as the European Medicines Agency (EMA) relocates from London to
Amsterdam creating uncertainty about drug approvals after 2019 The Medicines and
Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) said in an update on its website that it
20
hoped to have a continuing relationship with the EMA after Brexit but if this did not happen
it would be ldquopragmaticrdquo in setting UK drug rules hellip The agency also noted that London and
Brussels agreed last month that ldquogoods placed on the market under Union law before the
withdrawal date may freely circulate on the markets of the UK and the Union with no need
for product modifications or re-labellingrdquo The Association of the British Pharmaceutical
Industry hellip warned that planning for a scenario where Britain had a separate regulatory
system required further detail Reuters
top of page
USNORTHCOM
US FDA expects IV fluid shortage to improve in coming
weeks months
16 January - The US Food and Drug Administration said on Tuesday it expects a shortage
of intravenous saline fluids for hospitals due to damage to key manufacturing facilities in
Puerto Rico to improve over the coming weeks and months FDA Commissioner Scott
Gottlieb said that the FDA has approved IV saline products from more companies which is
expected to boost US supply He said the tight supply of saline products had been
exacerbated by increased demand as a result of a worse-than-normal flu season At the
same time Gottlieb said the agency is concerned about a potential shortage of IV
containers as demand for empty IV containers increases as an alternative to filled bags
Reuters
top of page
US Mapping how the opioid epidemic sparked an HIV
outbreak
14 January - When people started to show up to Dr William Cookes primary care office in
Austin Ind in 2014 with HIV Cooke knew it was probably related to the regions opioid
epidemic But what he and the rest of the public health community didnt know was who
they were missing or how long the HIV outbreak had been going on Now theyve got a
clearer picture mdash literally In visualizations published in the Journal of Infectious Diseases
dots and lines define the constellations of Indianas HIV outbreak Using genetic
sequencing they show how long the outbreak had been going on connected people who
hadnt previously been linked by traditional methods and showed how the virus jumped
from a slowly spreading infection to a virus transmitted quickly via needle sharing and
other smaller sub-epidemics NPR
top of page
21
US More $$ needed for health emergencies senators
told 17 January - The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) needs more funding to
effectively prepare for public health emergencies an HHS official said at a Senate hearing
Wednesday We cant do more things with limited resources Robert Kadlec MD HHS
assistant secretary for preparedness and response told members of the Senate Health
Education Labor amp Pensions (HELP) Committee hellip We have a $33 trillion healthcare
system of which we invest $250 million for preparedness Its just a drop in the bucket
The hearing focused on the pending reauthorization of the Pandemic and All-Hazards
Preparedness Act (PAHPA) a 2006 law that established Kadlecs position at HHS and
implemented several programs aimed at getting the nation ready for emergencies such as
developing and acquiring drugs and vaccines to be used when needed MedPage Today
top of page
US National Academies report endorses lower BAC
higher alcohol taxes 18 January - Getting to Zero Alcohol-Impaired Driving Fatalities a new report from the
National Academies of Sciences Engineering and Medicine recommends reducing state
laws criminalizing alcohol-impaired driving from 008 to 005 percent blood alcohol
concentration (BAC) increasing alcohol taxes significantly and other actions to address the
persistent problem of alcohol-impaired driving deaths There are more than 10000 alcohol-
impaired driving fatalities annually in the United States and the report says stakeholders
that range from transportation systems to alcohol retailers to law enforcement should join
forces to implement policies and systems to eliminate these preventable deaths The
committee that conducted the study and wrote the report recommended a number of
actions lowering state laws on BAC raising alcohol taxes significantly strengthening policies
to prevent illegal alcohol sales to people under 21 and to already intoxicated adults
enacting all-offender ignition interlock laws and providing effective treatment for offenders
when needed Occupational Health and Safety
top of page
US NIH study shows steep increase in rate of alcohol-
related ER visits 12 January - The rate of alcohol-related visits to US emergency departments (ED) increased
by nearly 50 percent between 2006 and 2014 especially among females and drinkers who
are middle-aged or older according to a new study conducted by researchers at the
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) part of the National Institutes
of Health hellip These increases far outpaced changes in the number and rate of ED visits for
any cause during the years studied hellip Although men account for more alcohol-related ED
visits than women the rate of such visits increased more among females than males (53
percent versus 40 percent annually) over the study period NIH
top of page
22
US Number of Americans without health insurance
grows in Trumps first year new figures show 16 January - The number of Americans without health coverage which declined for years
after passage of the Affordable Care Act shot up in President Trumprsquos first year in office
according to data from a new national survey At the end of 2017 122 of US adults
lacked health insurance up from 109 at the end of 2016 as President Obama was
completing his final term The increase of 13 percentage points although modest marks
the first time since at least 2008 that the share of adults without insurance increased from
the previous year hellip The increase indicates that 32 million Americans lost health coverage
in 2017 Gallup concluded Los Angeles Times
top of page
US The Big Number 3500 infants die of sleep-related
issues 13 January - Thatrsquos the number of babies in the United States who die each year as the
result of a sleep-related issue according to a new report from the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention The causes vary but child health experts believe many of the
deaths would be preventable if more parents adhered to safe-sleep practices For instance
babies should be placed on their backs to sleep but the CDC found that 22 percent of
moms placed babies on their side or stomach Soft bedding mdash blankets pillows bumper
pads mdash should be kept out of the sleep area but 39 percent of moms said they used soft
bedding And itrsquos a good idea to share a room with an infant but not a bed with a baby Still
61 percent of moms told the CDC they had slept with their babies The Washington Post
top of page
US US faces oversupply of antibiotic-free chicken -
Sanderson Farms 16 January - Supplies of chicken raised without antibiotics are outstripping demand a major
US poultry producer said on Tuesday a sign of overproduction that could eat into
processorsrsquo profits Large chicken and restaurant companies including Tyson Foods Inc and
McDonaldrsquos Corp have raced to cut antibiotics from poultry supplies as public health
experts have warned about the link between use of the drugs in farms and the rise of drug-
resistant bacteria Antibiotic-free chickens made up an average of 405 percent of all fresh
US production for the first 10 months of 2017 Sanderson Farms Inc said in a regulatory
filing However only 64 percent of sales were for products sold as antibiotic-free (ABF)
according to Sanderson the third-largest US poultry producer Reuters
top of page
US US government to shield health workers under
religious freedom 18 January - The US government is seeking to further protect the ldquoconscience and religious
23
freedomrdquo of health workers whose beliefs prevent them from carrying out abortions and
other procedures in an effort likely to please conservative Christian activists and other
supporters of President Donald Trump The US Department of Health and Human Services
said on Thursday it will create a division within its Office of Civil Rights to give it ldquothe focus it
needs to more vigorously and effectively enforce existing laws protecting the rights of
conscience and religious freedomrdquo Healthcare workers hospitals with religious affiliations
and medical students among others have been ldquobulliedrdquo by the federal government to
provide these services despite existing laws on religious and conscience rights the top HHS
official said Reuters
top of page
USPACOM
Bangladesh Cold wave
12 January - Severe cold wave is sweeping over Bangladesh It was recorded the lowest in
Bangladeshrsquos history at 26 degrees yesterday in Tetulia Rangpur division hellip According to
the MET office the cold wave is likely to continue till January 14 and one or two more cold
waves are expected later this month hellip The cold wave has disrupted the lives of many in
northern Bangladesh Poor people particularly the farmers and rickshaw-pullers have been
affected badly Children and elderly people are the worst affected Twenty-seven (27)
persons have been reported dead ReliefWeb
top of page
Indonesia Indonesia sends military to help fight health
crisis in Papua
17 January - Indonesia is deploying military paramedics to carry food and vaccines to a
remote part of its easternmost province of Papua where reports say at least 61 infants died
from malnutrition and diseases such as measles hellip The situation in the remote Asmat
regency was an ldquoextraordinary incidentrdquo the health ministry said in a statement adding that
it was sending 39 health workers there The Indonesian military has sent 53 personnel
including paramedics besides medical equipment vaccines and 11100 packages of instant
food it added hellip ldquoThere is a link between the malnutrition and (catching) other diseasesrdquo
[Health Minister Nila] Moeloek added ldquoIf yoursquore undernourished you will get those
diseasesrdquo Reuters
top of page
Philippines Sanofi will reimburse Philippines
government for unused Dengvaxia
16 January - Yesterday Sanofi Pasteur the French pharmaceutical giant announced it will
reimburse the Philippines government for unused doses of Dengvaxia its controversial
24
dengue vaccine The announcement comes weeks after the company recommended the
vaccine not be used in people without prior dengue infections as it may prime dengue-
naive recipients for more severe infections More than 800000 Filipino children had already
received Dengvaxia when the recommendation was made Sanofi Pasteur has responded
positively to the Philippine Department of Healths (DoH) request that we provide
reimbursement for the doses of Dengvaxia that were not used by the government in the
public vaccination program the company said CIDRAP News Scan (third item)
top of page
USSOUTHCOM
Brazil WHO recommends yellow fever shot to Sao Paulo
visitors
16 January - The World Health Organization said on Tuesday that the whole of Sao Paulo
state which includes Brazilrsquos largest city Sao Paulo should be considered at risk for yellow
fever and recommended foreign travelers get vaccinated before visiting But Brazilrsquos Health
Ministry said the WHO recommendation coming just weeks before Carnival when tens of
thousands of tourists descend on Brazil would not cause it to change its advisory that only
travelers going to rural areas need to get vaccinated Deputy Health Minister Antonio Carlos
Nardi said Carnival celebrations in February were in urban areas and that visitors would not
be at risk if they stayed in cities Nardi said the number of cases had risen again this year
but that there was no outbreak of yellow fever in the country Reuters
top of page
25
US Military | Global | Influenza | VeterinaryFood Safety | Wellness | Contact Us
USAFRICOM | USCENTCOM | USEUCOM | USNORTHCOM | USPACOM | USSOUTHCOM
The Army Public Health Weekly Update does not analyze the information as to its strategic or tactical impact on the US Army and is not a medical
intelligence product Medical intelligence is available from the National Center for Medical Intelligence
External Links The appearance of external hyperlinks does not constitute endorsement by the US Army of this Web site or the information products
or services contained therein For other than authorized activities such as military exchanges and MWR sites the US Army does not exercise any
editorial control over the information you may find at these locations Such links are provided consistent with the stated purpose of this product
Although we avoid links to sites that may be blocked all sites may not be accessible from all locations While we verify the links at the time of
publication we cannot guarantee that they will be active in the future
Articles appearing in the Update do not necessarily represent US Army Medical Command opinionsviews policy or guidance and should not be
construed or interpreted as being endorsed by the US Army Medical Command
The Army Public Health Weekly Update is published by the Public Health Information Directorate Army Public Health Center
15
mortality rates by 054 between 1988 and 2011 shaving an estimated 09 years off the
national life expectancy at age 40 and resulting in as many as 186000 additional deaths in
2011 alone Time
top of page
Researchers probe stomach surgeryrsquos lsquomiraclersquo secrets
17 January - Nima Saeidi an assistant professor of surgery at Harvard Medical School and
Massachusetts General Hospital and a member of the Center for Engineering in Medicine
had started down one career path when a lecture on Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery
redirected him The MGH lecture outlined not just the procedurersquos striking effectiveness for
weight loss hellip but also its promise against diabetes high blood pressure cholesterol and
fatty-food cravings hellip The idea of a compound that mimics the positives of Roux-en-Y is
particularly enticing amid twin national epidemics of obesity and diabetes The surgery
has been shown to affect insulin sensitivity and production of the hunger hormones ghrelin
and leptin It also alters the composition of a patientrsquos microbiome hellip Saeidi and colleagues
have turned to new rodent models spectroscopic instruments and novel informatics
techniques that shift inquiry from a traditional hypothesis-based step-by-step exploration
to one that seeks to reverse-engineer the problem by searching broadly for postoperative
chemical changes in the body and then working to understand them Harvard Gazette
top of page
Wal-Mart launches program to safely dispose of unused
opioids
17 January - The company said patients filling any new class II opioid prescriptions at its
pharmacies will receive a free packet of the product - called DisposeRx - when filling a new
prescription hellip People filling prescriptions at Samrsquos Club can also get DisposeRx at their
pharmacies In order to safely dispose of opioids patients would add warm water and the
DisposeRx powder to their pill bottle which then forms a biodegradable gel around the
pills Reuters
top of page
USAFRICOM
Democratic Republic of the Congo Five cases of vaccine-
derived polio detected in DRC
12 January - In an advance notification the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) said
there are five new cases of vaccine-derived polio from the Democratic Republic of the
Congo (DRC) hellip These are the first cases reported from the DRC in 2018 but illness onset
dates havent yet been recorded For 2017 there were 12 cases of circulating vaccine-
derived poliovirus type 2 (cVDPV2) in the DRC and 74 reported in Syria hellip In other polio
news Science published an article today describing the increasing number of polio
16
environmental samples found in Pakistan despite the dwindling number of human cases
The authors said the increasing samples could be sign that polio is on its last legs in that
country before eradication CIDRAP News Scan (fourth item)
top of page
Namibia Hepatitis E
15 January - During the week ending on 13 October 2017 the first identified case was
admitted to a public hospital in Windhoek district with signs and symptoms of hepatitis E
During the week ending on 8 January 2018 a total of 237 probable and confirmed cases
have been seen at various health facilities in Windhoek district with the same signs and
symptoms All suspected patients tested negative for hepatitis A B and C A total of 41 of
the 237 cases were sent for further testing and on 8 January 2018 the results showed 21
were IgM positive for hepatitis E WHO
top of page
Nigeria 3 die from Lassa fever in Ebonyi State
16 January - Four cases of Lassa fever were reported among health care workers in Ebonyi
State in southeastern Nigeria with three passing away from the lethal viral disease
the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) said The Honorable Minister of Health
Professor Isaac Adewole immediately requested that NCDC provides support to the
Government of Ebonyi State to investigate and respond to this cluster of cases
Outbreak News Today
top of page
South Africa Cape Town slashes water use amid drought
18 January - The South African city of Cape Town will slash residents water allowance to 50
litres a day from next month amid fears that it could become the worlds first major city to
run out of water The city had reached a point of no return Mayor Patricia de Lille said
Cape Town a popular tourist destination has been hit by its worst drought in a century Ms
De Lille warned that the city risked reaching Day Zero on 21 April when taps in homes
could run dry We can no longer ask people to stop wasting water We must force them
she said at a press conference Despite our urging for months 60 of Capetonians are
callously using more than 87 litres per day she added referring to the current daily limit A
person uses about 15 litres per minute for a typical shower and the same amount when
flushing a standard toilet according to WaterWise a South African water usage awareness
campaign BBC News
top of page
South Sudan Rift Valley fever suspected in South Sudan
VHF cluster 2 cases reported
16 January - Preliminary indications into South Sudans recent viral hemorrhagic fever
outbreak suggest that Rift Valley fever (RVF) may be the cause the World Health
17
Organization (WHO) Regional Office for Africa said in its latest outbreak and health
emergencies update The initial cluster included three patients from the same area of
Eastern Lakes state who had similar symptoms and died from their infections in December
hellip [T]wo more suspected human cases have been reported and involve an 18-year-old
pregnant woman who is a contact of a patient in the initial cluster and a 14-year-old girl
from a neighboring village who had no epidemiologic links to the original three cluster
patients State and national task forces have been activated The WHO said surveillance in
humans and animals needs to be strengthened in the area while efforts continue to confirm
the cause of the outbreak CIDRAP New Scan (first item)
top of page
Uganda Doctors in Uganda warn crisis level blood
shortage is putting lives at risk
16 January - Uganda is grappling with a critical shortage of blood that is affecting services
and putting patientsrsquo lives at risk The health ministryrsquos blood bank facility in the capital
Kampala which stores and distributes supplies to hospitals is practically empty It has just
150 units of blood remaining not enough to meet requirements on an average day in the
city Nationally Uganda needs at least 340000 units of safe blood annually but usually only
collects 200000 a year A six-day countrywide blood collection drive was launched by the
ministry on Monday The Uganda Medical Association an umbrella organisation of doctors
in public health facilities said the shortage was ldquoalmost [at] crisis levelrdquo resulting in the
cancellation of hospital operations and prioritisation of cases The Guardian
top of page
United Republic of Tanzania Cholera
12 January - From 15 August 2015 through 7 January 2018 33421 cases including 542
deaths (case fatality rate = 162) have been reported across all 26 regions of the United
Republic of Tanzania (Tanzania mainland and Zanzibar) Tanzania mainland has reported
86 of the total cases in this outbreak Children under five years old accounted for 114 of
cases Since the beginning of the outbreak over 7000 specimens have been tested for
cholera and 47 were positive for Vibrio cholerae by culture From 1 January 2017 through
31 December 4985 cases including 99 deaths have been reported in Tanzania Mainland
and Zanzibar The number of cases as well as geographical spread of cholera has markedly
reduced compared to the two previous years WHO
top of page
Zambia Zambia relaxes restrictions as cholera outbreak
slows
14 January - Zambia on Sunday relaxed rules imposed to curb the spread of cholera as the
number of new cases being reported has halved Health Minister Chitalu Chilufya said
Schools and some markets will be allowed to re-open Chilufya told a news conference in
Lusaka Police arrested 55 people in the capital on Friday after residents rioted over a curfew
18
and ban on street vending The outbreak has killed 74 people since Oct 4 including 68 in
Lusaka Chilufya said The number of new cases has fallen to around 80 from 164 a week
ago Of the more than 3200 cases reported in total more than 3000 have been in Lusaka
All government and private schools will re-open on Jan 22 but Zambiarsquos two largest public
universities will remain closed for now President Edgar Lungu last month directed the
military to clean markets and unblock drains to help to fight the spread of the waterborne
disease Reuters
top of page
USCENTCOM
Yemen UN hopes imports will help stave off famine in
Yemen as diphtheria spreads
16 January - United Nations aid agencies called on Tuesday for the Yemeni port of
Hodeidah to remain open beyond Friday the date set by a Saudi-led military coalition to
permit continued delivery of life-saving goods Yemen is the worldrsquos worst humanitarian
crisis where 83 million people are entirely dependent on external food aid and 400000
children suffer from severe acute malnutrition a potentially lethal condition they said hellip
More than 11 million Yemeni children - virtually all - need humanitarian assistance Relano
said UNICEF figures show 25000 Yemeni babies die at birth or before the age of one
month hellip A diphtheria outbreak in Yemen is ldquospreading quicklyrdquo with 678 cases and 48
associated deaths in four months Fadela Chaib of the World Health Organisation said
Reuters
top of page
USEUCOM
Ukraine Ukraine conflict has increased spread of HIV in
silent epidemic
16 January - The conflict in eastern Ukraine has increased the
spread of HIV throughout the country as people have been
uprooted by the violence a new study finds hellip Ukraine has
among the highest HIV rates in Europe with an estimated
220000 infected in a country of about 45 million hellip The study
says the HIV crisis in Ukraine has become a silent epidemic because half of HIV-infected
people are unaware they have the infection and around 40 percent of newly diagnosed
people are in the later stages of the disease hellip [A]n international team of scientists hellip
analyzed viral migration patterns in Ukraine from 2012 to 2015 They found a correlation
between the movement of 17 million people uprooted by the war and the spread of HIV
19
hellip The HIV epidemic has shifted from being associated with drug injections in the 1990s to
most new infections now being spread by sexual transmission the study found
Radio Free EuropeRadio Liberty
top of page
United Kingdom Britain appoints minister for loneliness
amid growing isolation
17 January - Britain has appointed a minister for loneliness to take forward the work of
murdered lawmaker Jo Cox and tackle the isolation felt by more than one in ten people in
the UK Sports minister Tracey Crouch will take on the new role [to] develop a strategy to
address the problem which research has linked with dementia early mortality and high
blood pressure hellip The majority of people over 75 live alone and about 200000 older people
in the UK have not had a conversation with a friend or relative in more than a month
according to government data Most doctors in Britain see between one and five patients a
day who have come mainly because they are lonely according to the Campaign to End
Loneliness Reuters
top of page
United Kingdom Measles outbreak spreading across
England warn health officials
16 January - Public health experts are urging parents to immunise their children against
measles as the potentially deadly bug has now spread to five regions in England With more
than 100 cases confirmed Public Health England warns that the UK could be on the verge
of an outbreak due to a rise in cases across Europe People who have recently visited
Romania Italy and Germany and have not been fully immunised against measles via the
MMR vaccine may be most at risk they said hellip However not all cases are being spread by
those who have visited countries included in the European outbreak a spokesperson for
Public Health England told The Independent We know that measles cases are showing a
link to importation from Europe where there are ongoing outbreaks but the cases are also
spreading within the UK in under-vaccinated communities they explained
The Independent
top of page
United Kingdom UK drugs regulator plays down Brexit
disruption threat
16 January - Britainrsquos drugs regulator said on Tuesday it would work to minimise disruption
caused by the country leaving the European Union as it tried to allay some of the worst
fears of pharmaceutical companies The highly regulated drugs industry is concerned about
Brexit fallout as the European Medicines Agency (EMA) relocates from London to
Amsterdam creating uncertainty about drug approvals after 2019 The Medicines and
Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) said in an update on its website that it
20
hoped to have a continuing relationship with the EMA after Brexit but if this did not happen
it would be ldquopragmaticrdquo in setting UK drug rules hellip The agency also noted that London and
Brussels agreed last month that ldquogoods placed on the market under Union law before the
withdrawal date may freely circulate on the markets of the UK and the Union with no need
for product modifications or re-labellingrdquo The Association of the British Pharmaceutical
Industry hellip warned that planning for a scenario where Britain had a separate regulatory
system required further detail Reuters
top of page
USNORTHCOM
US FDA expects IV fluid shortage to improve in coming
weeks months
16 January - The US Food and Drug Administration said on Tuesday it expects a shortage
of intravenous saline fluids for hospitals due to damage to key manufacturing facilities in
Puerto Rico to improve over the coming weeks and months FDA Commissioner Scott
Gottlieb said that the FDA has approved IV saline products from more companies which is
expected to boost US supply He said the tight supply of saline products had been
exacerbated by increased demand as a result of a worse-than-normal flu season At the
same time Gottlieb said the agency is concerned about a potential shortage of IV
containers as demand for empty IV containers increases as an alternative to filled bags
Reuters
top of page
US Mapping how the opioid epidemic sparked an HIV
outbreak
14 January - When people started to show up to Dr William Cookes primary care office in
Austin Ind in 2014 with HIV Cooke knew it was probably related to the regions opioid
epidemic But what he and the rest of the public health community didnt know was who
they were missing or how long the HIV outbreak had been going on Now theyve got a
clearer picture mdash literally In visualizations published in the Journal of Infectious Diseases
dots and lines define the constellations of Indianas HIV outbreak Using genetic
sequencing they show how long the outbreak had been going on connected people who
hadnt previously been linked by traditional methods and showed how the virus jumped
from a slowly spreading infection to a virus transmitted quickly via needle sharing and
other smaller sub-epidemics NPR
top of page
21
US More $$ needed for health emergencies senators
told 17 January - The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) needs more funding to
effectively prepare for public health emergencies an HHS official said at a Senate hearing
Wednesday We cant do more things with limited resources Robert Kadlec MD HHS
assistant secretary for preparedness and response told members of the Senate Health
Education Labor amp Pensions (HELP) Committee hellip We have a $33 trillion healthcare
system of which we invest $250 million for preparedness Its just a drop in the bucket
The hearing focused on the pending reauthorization of the Pandemic and All-Hazards
Preparedness Act (PAHPA) a 2006 law that established Kadlecs position at HHS and
implemented several programs aimed at getting the nation ready for emergencies such as
developing and acquiring drugs and vaccines to be used when needed MedPage Today
top of page
US National Academies report endorses lower BAC
higher alcohol taxes 18 January - Getting to Zero Alcohol-Impaired Driving Fatalities a new report from the
National Academies of Sciences Engineering and Medicine recommends reducing state
laws criminalizing alcohol-impaired driving from 008 to 005 percent blood alcohol
concentration (BAC) increasing alcohol taxes significantly and other actions to address the
persistent problem of alcohol-impaired driving deaths There are more than 10000 alcohol-
impaired driving fatalities annually in the United States and the report says stakeholders
that range from transportation systems to alcohol retailers to law enforcement should join
forces to implement policies and systems to eliminate these preventable deaths The
committee that conducted the study and wrote the report recommended a number of
actions lowering state laws on BAC raising alcohol taxes significantly strengthening policies
to prevent illegal alcohol sales to people under 21 and to already intoxicated adults
enacting all-offender ignition interlock laws and providing effective treatment for offenders
when needed Occupational Health and Safety
top of page
US NIH study shows steep increase in rate of alcohol-
related ER visits 12 January - The rate of alcohol-related visits to US emergency departments (ED) increased
by nearly 50 percent between 2006 and 2014 especially among females and drinkers who
are middle-aged or older according to a new study conducted by researchers at the
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) part of the National Institutes
of Health hellip These increases far outpaced changes in the number and rate of ED visits for
any cause during the years studied hellip Although men account for more alcohol-related ED
visits than women the rate of such visits increased more among females than males (53
percent versus 40 percent annually) over the study period NIH
top of page
22
US Number of Americans without health insurance
grows in Trumps first year new figures show 16 January - The number of Americans without health coverage which declined for years
after passage of the Affordable Care Act shot up in President Trumprsquos first year in office
according to data from a new national survey At the end of 2017 122 of US adults
lacked health insurance up from 109 at the end of 2016 as President Obama was
completing his final term The increase of 13 percentage points although modest marks
the first time since at least 2008 that the share of adults without insurance increased from
the previous year hellip The increase indicates that 32 million Americans lost health coverage
in 2017 Gallup concluded Los Angeles Times
top of page
US The Big Number 3500 infants die of sleep-related
issues 13 January - Thatrsquos the number of babies in the United States who die each year as the
result of a sleep-related issue according to a new report from the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention The causes vary but child health experts believe many of the
deaths would be preventable if more parents adhered to safe-sleep practices For instance
babies should be placed on their backs to sleep but the CDC found that 22 percent of
moms placed babies on their side or stomach Soft bedding mdash blankets pillows bumper
pads mdash should be kept out of the sleep area but 39 percent of moms said they used soft
bedding And itrsquos a good idea to share a room with an infant but not a bed with a baby Still
61 percent of moms told the CDC they had slept with their babies The Washington Post
top of page
US US faces oversupply of antibiotic-free chicken -
Sanderson Farms 16 January - Supplies of chicken raised without antibiotics are outstripping demand a major
US poultry producer said on Tuesday a sign of overproduction that could eat into
processorsrsquo profits Large chicken and restaurant companies including Tyson Foods Inc and
McDonaldrsquos Corp have raced to cut antibiotics from poultry supplies as public health
experts have warned about the link between use of the drugs in farms and the rise of drug-
resistant bacteria Antibiotic-free chickens made up an average of 405 percent of all fresh
US production for the first 10 months of 2017 Sanderson Farms Inc said in a regulatory
filing However only 64 percent of sales were for products sold as antibiotic-free (ABF)
according to Sanderson the third-largest US poultry producer Reuters
top of page
US US government to shield health workers under
religious freedom 18 January - The US government is seeking to further protect the ldquoconscience and religious
23
freedomrdquo of health workers whose beliefs prevent them from carrying out abortions and
other procedures in an effort likely to please conservative Christian activists and other
supporters of President Donald Trump The US Department of Health and Human Services
said on Thursday it will create a division within its Office of Civil Rights to give it ldquothe focus it
needs to more vigorously and effectively enforce existing laws protecting the rights of
conscience and religious freedomrdquo Healthcare workers hospitals with religious affiliations
and medical students among others have been ldquobulliedrdquo by the federal government to
provide these services despite existing laws on religious and conscience rights the top HHS
official said Reuters
top of page
USPACOM
Bangladesh Cold wave
12 January - Severe cold wave is sweeping over Bangladesh It was recorded the lowest in
Bangladeshrsquos history at 26 degrees yesterday in Tetulia Rangpur division hellip According to
the MET office the cold wave is likely to continue till January 14 and one or two more cold
waves are expected later this month hellip The cold wave has disrupted the lives of many in
northern Bangladesh Poor people particularly the farmers and rickshaw-pullers have been
affected badly Children and elderly people are the worst affected Twenty-seven (27)
persons have been reported dead ReliefWeb
top of page
Indonesia Indonesia sends military to help fight health
crisis in Papua
17 January - Indonesia is deploying military paramedics to carry food and vaccines to a
remote part of its easternmost province of Papua where reports say at least 61 infants died
from malnutrition and diseases such as measles hellip The situation in the remote Asmat
regency was an ldquoextraordinary incidentrdquo the health ministry said in a statement adding that
it was sending 39 health workers there The Indonesian military has sent 53 personnel
including paramedics besides medical equipment vaccines and 11100 packages of instant
food it added hellip ldquoThere is a link between the malnutrition and (catching) other diseasesrdquo
[Health Minister Nila] Moeloek added ldquoIf yoursquore undernourished you will get those
diseasesrdquo Reuters
top of page
Philippines Sanofi will reimburse Philippines
government for unused Dengvaxia
16 January - Yesterday Sanofi Pasteur the French pharmaceutical giant announced it will
reimburse the Philippines government for unused doses of Dengvaxia its controversial
24
dengue vaccine The announcement comes weeks after the company recommended the
vaccine not be used in people without prior dengue infections as it may prime dengue-
naive recipients for more severe infections More than 800000 Filipino children had already
received Dengvaxia when the recommendation was made Sanofi Pasteur has responded
positively to the Philippine Department of Healths (DoH) request that we provide
reimbursement for the doses of Dengvaxia that were not used by the government in the
public vaccination program the company said CIDRAP News Scan (third item)
top of page
USSOUTHCOM
Brazil WHO recommends yellow fever shot to Sao Paulo
visitors
16 January - The World Health Organization said on Tuesday that the whole of Sao Paulo
state which includes Brazilrsquos largest city Sao Paulo should be considered at risk for yellow
fever and recommended foreign travelers get vaccinated before visiting But Brazilrsquos Health
Ministry said the WHO recommendation coming just weeks before Carnival when tens of
thousands of tourists descend on Brazil would not cause it to change its advisory that only
travelers going to rural areas need to get vaccinated Deputy Health Minister Antonio Carlos
Nardi said Carnival celebrations in February were in urban areas and that visitors would not
be at risk if they stayed in cities Nardi said the number of cases had risen again this year
but that there was no outbreak of yellow fever in the country Reuters
top of page
25
US Military | Global | Influenza | VeterinaryFood Safety | Wellness | Contact Us
USAFRICOM | USCENTCOM | USEUCOM | USNORTHCOM | USPACOM | USSOUTHCOM
The Army Public Health Weekly Update does not analyze the information as to its strategic or tactical impact on the US Army and is not a medical
intelligence product Medical intelligence is available from the National Center for Medical Intelligence
External Links The appearance of external hyperlinks does not constitute endorsement by the US Army of this Web site or the information products
or services contained therein For other than authorized activities such as military exchanges and MWR sites the US Army does not exercise any
editorial control over the information you may find at these locations Such links are provided consistent with the stated purpose of this product
Although we avoid links to sites that may be blocked all sites may not be accessible from all locations While we verify the links at the time of
publication we cannot guarantee that they will be active in the future
Articles appearing in the Update do not necessarily represent US Army Medical Command opinionsviews policy or guidance and should not be
construed or interpreted as being endorsed by the US Army Medical Command
The Army Public Health Weekly Update is published by the Public Health Information Directorate Army Public Health Center
16
environmental samples found in Pakistan despite the dwindling number of human cases
The authors said the increasing samples could be sign that polio is on its last legs in that
country before eradication CIDRAP News Scan (fourth item)
top of page
Namibia Hepatitis E
15 January - During the week ending on 13 October 2017 the first identified case was
admitted to a public hospital in Windhoek district with signs and symptoms of hepatitis E
During the week ending on 8 January 2018 a total of 237 probable and confirmed cases
have been seen at various health facilities in Windhoek district with the same signs and
symptoms All suspected patients tested negative for hepatitis A B and C A total of 41 of
the 237 cases were sent for further testing and on 8 January 2018 the results showed 21
were IgM positive for hepatitis E WHO
top of page
Nigeria 3 die from Lassa fever in Ebonyi State
16 January - Four cases of Lassa fever were reported among health care workers in Ebonyi
State in southeastern Nigeria with three passing away from the lethal viral disease
the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) said The Honorable Minister of Health
Professor Isaac Adewole immediately requested that NCDC provides support to the
Government of Ebonyi State to investigate and respond to this cluster of cases
Outbreak News Today
top of page
South Africa Cape Town slashes water use amid drought
18 January - The South African city of Cape Town will slash residents water allowance to 50
litres a day from next month amid fears that it could become the worlds first major city to
run out of water The city had reached a point of no return Mayor Patricia de Lille said
Cape Town a popular tourist destination has been hit by its worst drought in a century Ms
De Lille warned that the city risked reaching Day Zero on 21 April when taps in homes
could run dry We can no longer ask people to stop wasting water We must force them
she said at a press conference Despite our urging for months 60 of Capetonians are
callously using more than 87 litres per day she added referring to the current daily limit A
person uses about 15 litres per minute for a typical shower and the same amount when
flushing a standard toilet according to WaterWise a South African water usage awareness
campaign BBC News
top of page
South Sudan Rift Valley fever suspected in South Sudan
VHF cluster 2 cases reported
16 January - Preliminary indications into South Sudans recent viral hemorrhagic fever
outbreak suggest that Rift Valley fever (RVF) may be the cause the World Health
17
Organization (WHO) Regional Office for Africa said in its latest outbreak and health
emergencies update The initial cluster included three patients from the same area of
Eastern Lakes state who had similar symptoms and died from their infections in December
hellip [T]wo more suspected human cases have been reported and involve an 18-year-old
pregnant woman who is a contact of a patient in the initial cluster and a 14-year-old girl
from a neighboring village who had no epidemiologic links to the original three cluster
patients State and national task forces have been activated The WHO said surveillance in
humans and animals needs to be strengthened in the area while efforts continue to confirm
the cause of the outbreak CIDRAP New Scan (first item)
top of page
Uganda Doctors in Uganda warn crisis level blood
shortage is putting lives at risk
16 January - Uganda is grappling with a critical shortage of blood that is affecting services
and putting patientsrsquo lives at risk The health ministryrsquos blood bank facility in the capital
Kampala which stores and distributes supplies to hospitals is practically empty It has just
150 units of blood remaining not enough to meet requirements on an average day in the
city Nationally Uganda needs at least 340000 units of safe blood annually but usually only
collects 200000 a year A six-day countrywide blood collection drive was launched by the
ministry on Monday The Uganda Medical Association an umbrella organisation of doctors
in public health facilities said the shortage was ldquoalmost [at] crisis levelrdquo resulting in the
cancellation of hospital operations and prioritisation of cases The Guardian
top of page
United Republic of Tanzania Cholera
12 January - From 15 August 2015 through 7 January 2018 33421 cases including 542
deaths (case fatality rate = 162) have been reported across all 26 regions of the United
Republic of Tanzania (Tanzania mainland and Zanzibar) Tanzania mainland has reported
86 of the total cases in this outbreak Children under five years old accounted for 114 of
cases Since the beginning of the outbreak over 7000 specimens have been tested for
cholera and 47 were positive for Vibrio cholerae by culture From 1 January 2017 through
31 December 4985 cases including 99 deaths have been reported in Tanzania Mainland
and Zanzibar The number of cases as well as geographical spread of cholera has markedly
reduced compared to the two previous years WHO
top of page
Zambia Zambia relaxes restrictions as cholera outbreak
slows
14 January - Zambia on Sunday relaxed rules imposed to curb the spread of cholera as the
number of new cases being reported has halved Health Minister Chitalu Chilufya said
Schools and some markets will be allowed to re-open Chilufya told a news conference in
Lusaka Police arrested 55 people in the capital on Friday after residents rioted over a curfew
18
and ban on street vending The outbreak has killed 74 people since Oct 4 including 68 in
Lusaka Chilufya said The number of new cases has fallen to around 80 from 164 a week
ago Of the more than 3200 cases reported in total more than 3000 have been in Lusaka
All government and private schools will re-open on Jan 22 but Zambiarsquos two largest public
universities will remain closed for now President Edgar Lungu last month directed the
military to clean markets and unblock drains to help to fight the spread of the waterborne
disease Reuters
top of page
USCENTCOM
Yemen UN hopes imports will help stave off famine in
Yemen as diphtheria spreads
16 January - United Nations aid agencies called on Tuesday for the Yemeni port of
Hodeidah to remain open beyond Friday the date set by a Saudi-led military coalition to
permit continued delivery of life-saving goods Yemen is the worldrsquos worst humanitarian
crisis where 83 million people are entirely dependent on external food aid and 400000
children suffer from severe acute malnutrition a potentially lethal condition they said hellip
More than 11 million Yemeni children - virtually all - need humanitarian assistance Relano
said UNICEF figures show 25000 Yemeni babies die at birth or before the age of one
month hellip A diphtheria outbreak in Yemen is ldquospreading quicklyrdquo with 678 cases and 48
associated deaths in four months Fadela Chaib of the World Health Organisation said
Reuters
top of page
USEUCOM
Ukraine Ukraine conflict has increased spread of HIV in
silent epidemic
16 January - The conflict in eastern Ukraine has increased the
spread of HIV throughout the country as people have been
uprooted by the violence a new study finds hellip Ukraine has
among the highest HIV rates in Europe with an estimated
220000 infected in a country of about 45 million hellip The study
says the HIV crisis in Ukraine has become a silent epidemic because half of HIV-infected
people are unaware they have the infection and around 40 percent of newly diagnosed
people are in the later stages of the disease hellip [A]n international team of scientists hellip
analyzed viral migration patterns in Ukraine from 2012 to 2015 They found a correlation
between the movement of 17 million people uprooted by the war and the spread of HIV
19
hellip The HIV epidemic has shifted from being associated with drug injections in the 1990s to
most new infections now being spread by sexual transmission the study found
Radio Free EuropeRadio Liberty
top of page
United Kingdom Britain appoints minister for loneliness
amid growing isolation
17 January - Britain has appointed a minister for loneliness to take forward the work of
murdered lawmaker Jo Cox and tackle the isolation felt by more than one in ten people in
the UK Sports minister Tracey Crouch will take on the new role [to] develop a strategy to
address the problem which research has linked with dementia early mortality and high
blood pressure hellip The majority of people over 75 live alone and about 200000 older people
in the UK have not had a conversation with a friend or relative in more than a month
according to government data Most doctors in Britain see between one and five patients a
day who have come mainly because they are lonely according to the Campaign to End
Loneliness Reuters
top of page
United Kingdom Measles outbreak spreading across
England warn health officials
16 January - Public health experts are urging parents to immunise their children against
measles as the potentially deadly bug has now spread to five regions in England With more
than 100 cases confirmed Public Health England warns that the UK could be on the verge
of an outbreak due to a rise in cases across Europe People who have recently visited
Romania Italy and Germany and have not been fully immunised against measles via the
MMR vaccine may be most at risk they said hellip However not all cases are being spread by
those who have visited countries included in the European outbreak a spokesperson for
Public Health England told The Independent We know that measles cases are showing a
link to importation from Europe where there are ongoing outbreaks but the cases are also
spreading within the UK in under-vaccinated communities they explained
The Independent
top of page
United Kingdom UK drugs regulator plays down Brexit
disruption threat
16 January - Britainrsquos drugs regulator said on Tuesday it would work to minimise disruption
caused by the country leaving the European Union as it tried to allay some of the worst
fears of pharmaceutical companies The highly regulated drugs industry is concerned about
Brexit fallout as the European Medicines Agency (EMA) relocates from London to
Amsterdam creating uncertainty about drug approvals after 2019 The Medicines and
Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) said in an update on its website that it
20
hoped to have a continuing relationship with the EMA after Brexit but if this did not happen
it would be ldquopragmaticrdquo in setting UK drug rules hellip The agency also noted that London and
Brussels agreed last month that ldquogoods placed on the market under Union law before the
withdrawal date may freely circulate on the markets of the UK and the Union with no need
for product modifications or re-labellingrdquo The Association of the British Pharmaceutical
Industry hellip warned that planning for a scenario where Britain had a separate regulatory
system required further detail Reuters
top of page
USNORTHCOM
US FDA expects IV fluid shortage to improve in coming
weeks months
16 January - The US Food and Drug Administration said on Tuesday it expects a shortage
of intravenous saline fluids for hospitals due to damage to key manufacturing facilities in
Puerto Rico to improve over the coming weeks and months FDA Commissioner Scott
Gottlieb said that the FDA has approved IV saline products from more companies which is
expected to boost US supply He said the tight supply of saline products had been
exacerbated by increased demand as a result of a worse-than-normal flu season At the
same time Gottlieb said the agency is concerned about a potential shortage of IV
containers as demand for empty IV containers increases as an alternative to filled bags
Reuters
top of page
US Mapping how the opioid epidemic sparked an HIV
outbreak
14 January - When people started to show up to Dr William Cookes primary care office in
Austin Ind in 2014 with HIV Cooke knew it was probably related to the regions opioid
epidemic But what he and the rest of the public health community didnt know was who
they were missing or how long the HIV outbreak had been going on Now theyve got a
clearer picture mdash literally In visualizations published in the Journal of Infectious Diseases
dots and lines define the constellations of Indianas HIV outbreak Using genetic
sequencing they show how long the outbreak had been going on connected people who
hadnt previously been linked by traditional methods and showed how the virus jumped
from a slowly spreading infection to a virus transmitted quickly via needle sharing and
other smaller sub-epidemics NPR
top of page
21
US More $$ needed for health emergencies senators
told 17 January - The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) needs more funding to
effectively prepare for public health emergencies an HHS official said at a Senate hearing
Wednesday We cant do more things with limited resources Robert Kadlec MD HHS
assistant secretary for preparedness and response told members of the Senate Health
Education Labor amp Pensions (HELP) Committee hellip We have a $33 trillion healthcare
system of which we invest $250 million for preparedness Its just a drop in the bucket
The hearing focused on the pending reauthorization of the Pandemic and All-Hazards
Preparedness Act (PAHPA) a 2006 law that established Kadlecs position at HHS and
implemented several programs aimed at getting the nation ready for emergencies such as
developing and acquiring drugs and vaccines to be used when needed MedPage Today
top of page
US National Academies report endorses lower BAC
higher alcohol taxes 18 January - Getting to Zero Alcohol-Impaired Driving Fatalities a new report from the
National Academies of Sciences Engineering and Medicine recommends reducing state
laws criminalizing alcohol-impaired driving from 008 to 005 percent blood alcohol
concentration (BAC) increasing alcohol taxes significantly and other actions to address the
persistent problem of alcohol-impaired driving deaths There are more than 10000 alcohol-
impaired driving fatalities annually in the United States and the report says stakeholders
that range from transportation systems to alcohol retailers to law enforcement should join
forces to implement policies and systems to eliminate these preventable deaths The
committee that conducted the study and wrote the report recommended a number of
actions lowering state laws on BAC raising alcohol taxes significantly strengthening policies
to prevent illegal alcohol sales to people under 21 and to already intoxicated adults
enacting all-offender ignition interlock laws and providing effective treatment for offenders
when needed Occupational Health and Safety
top of page
US NIH study shows steep increase in rate of alcohol-
related ER visits 12 January - The rate of alcohol-related visits to US emergency departments (ED) increased
by nearly 50 percent between 2006 and 2014 especially among females and drinkers who
are middle-aged or older according to a new study conducted by researchers at the
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) part of the National Institutes
of Health hellip These increases far outpaced changes in the number and rate of ED visits for
any cause during the years studied hellip Although men account for more alcohol-related ED
visits than women the rate of such visits increased more among females than males (53
percent versus 40 percent annually) over the study period NIH
top of page
22
US Number of Americans without health insurance
grows in Trumps first year new figures show 16 January - The number of Americans without health coverage which declined for years
after passage of the Affordable Care Act shot up in President Trumprsquos first year in office
according to data from a new national survey At the end of 2017 122 of US adults
lacked health insurance up from 109 at the end of 2016 as President Obama was
completing his final term The increase of 13 percentage points although modest marks
the first time since at least 2008 that the share of adults without insurance increased from
the previous year hellip The increase indicates that 32 million Americans lost health coverage
in 2017 Gallup concluded Los Angeles Times
top of page
US The Big Number 3500 infants die of sleep-related
issues 13 January - Thatrsquos the number of babies in the United States who die each year as the
result of a sleep-related issue according to a new report from the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention The causes vary but child health experts believe many of the
deaths would be preventable if more parents adhered to safe-sleep practices For instance
babies should be placed on their backs to sleep but the CDC found that 22 percent of
moms placed babies on their side or stomach Soft bedding mdash blankets pillows bumper
pads mdash should be kept out of the sleep area but 39 percent of moms said they used soft
bedding And itrsquos a good idea to share a room with an infant but not a bed with a baby Still
61 percent of moms told the CDC they had slept with their babies The Washington Post
top of page
US US faces oversupply of antibiotic-free chicken -
Sanderson Farms 16 January - Supplies of chicken raised without antibiotics are outstripping demand a major
US poultry producer said on Tuesday a sign of overproduction that could eat into
processorsrsquo profits Large chicken and restaurant companies including Tyson Foods Inc and
McDonaldrsquos Corp have raced to cut antibiotics from poultry supplies as public health
experts have warned about the link between use of the drugs in farms and the rise of drug-
resistant bacteria Antibiotic-free chickens made up an average of 405 percent of all fresh
US production for the first 10 months of 2017 Sanderson Farms Inc said in a regulatory
filing However only 64 percent of sales were for products sold as antibiotic-free (ABF)
according to Sanderson the third-largest US poultry producer Reuters
top of page
US US government to shield health workers under
religious freedom 18 January - The US government is seeking to further protect the ldquoconscience and religious
23
freedomrdquo of health workers whose beliefs prevent them from carrying out abortions and
other procedures in an effort likely to please conservative Christian activists and other
supporters of President Donald Trump The US Department of Health and Human Services
said on Thursday it will create a division within its Office of Civil Rights to give it ldquothe focus it
needs to more vigorously and effectively enforce existing laws protecting the rights of
conscience and religious freedomrdquo Healthcare workers hospitals with religious affiliations
and medical students among others have been ldquobulliedrdquo by the federal government to
provide these services despite existing laws on religious and conscience rights the top HHS
official said Reuters
top of page
USPACOM
Bangladesh Cold wave
12 January - Severe cold wave is sweeping over Bangladesh It was recorded the lowest in
Bangladeshrsquos history at 26 degrees yesterday in Tetulia Rangpur division hellip According to
the MET office the cold wave is likely to continue till January 14 and one or two more cold
waves are expected later this month hellip The cold wave has disrupted the lives of many in
northern Bangladesh Poor people particularly the farmers and rickshaw-pullers have been
affected badly Children and elderly people are the worst affected Twenty-seven (27)
persons have been reported dead ReliefWeb
top of page
Indonesia Indonesia sends military to help fight health
crisis in Papua
17 January - Indonesia is deploying military paramedics to carry food and vaccines to a
remote part of its easternmost province of Papua where reports say at least 61 infants died
from malnutrition and diseases such as measles hellip The situation in the remote Asmat
regency was an ldquoextraordinary incidentrdquo the health ministry said in a statement adding that
it was sending 39 health workers there The Indonesian military has sent 53 personnel
including paramedics besides medical equipment vaccines and 11100 packages of instant
food it added hellip ldquoThere is a link between the malnutrition and (catching) other diseasesrdquo
[Health Minister Nila] Moeloek added ldquoIf yoursquore undernourished you will get those
diseasesrdquo Reuters
top of page
Philippines Sanofi will reimburse Philippines
government for unused Dengvaxia
16 January - Yesterday Sanofi Pasteur the French pharmaceutical giant announced it will
reimburse the Philippines government for unused doses of Dengvaxia its controversial
24
dengue vaccine The announcement comes weeks after the company recommended the
vaccine not be used in people without prior dengue infections as it may prime dengue-
naive recipients for more severe infections More than 800000 Filipino children had already
received Dengvaxia when the recommendation was made Sanofi Pasteur has responded
positively to the Philippine Department of Healths (DoH) request that we provide
reimbursement for the doses of Dengvaxia that were not used by the government in the
public vaccination program the company said CIDRAP News Scan (third item)
top of page
USSOUTHCOM
Brazil WHO recommends yellow fever shot to Sao Paulo
visitors
16 January - The World Health Organization said on Tuesday that the whole of Sao Paulo
state which includes Brazilrsquos largest city Sao Paulo should be considered at risk for yellow
fever and recommended foreign travelers get vaccinated before visiting But Brazilrsquos Health
Ministry said the WHO recommendation coming just weeks before Carnival when tens of
thousands of tourists descend on Brazil would not cause it to change its advisory that only
travelers going to rural areas need to get vaccinated Deputy Health Minister Antonio Carlos
Nardi said Carnival celebrations in February were in urban areas and that visitors would not
be at risk if they stayed in cities Nardi said the number of cases had risen again this year
but that there was no outbreak of yellow fever in the country Reuters
top of page
25
US Military | Global | Influenza | VeterinaryFood Safety | Wellness | Contact Us
USAFRICOM | USCENTCOM | USEUCOM | USNORTHCOM | USPACOM | USSOUTHCOM
The Army Public Health Weekly Update does not analyze the information as to its strategic or tactical impact on the US Army and is not a medical
intelligence product Medical intelligence is available from the National Center for Medical Intelligence
External Links The appearance of external hyperlinks does not constitute endorsement by the US Army of this Web site or the information products
or services contained therein For other than authorized activities such as military exchanges and MWR sites the US Army does not exercise any
editorial control over the information you may find at these locations Such links are provided consistent with the stated purpose of this product
Although we avoid links to sites that may be blocked all sites may not be accessible from all locations While we verify the links at the time of
publication we cannot guarantee that they will be active in the future
Articles appearing in the Update do not necessarily represent US Army Medical Command opinionsviews policy or guidance and should not be
construed or interpreted as being endorsed by the US Army Medical Command
The Army Public Health Weekly Update is published by the Public Health Information Directorate Army Public Health Center
17
Organization (WHO) Regional Office for Africa said in its latest outbreak and health
emergencies update The initial cluster included three patients from the same area of
Eastern Lakes state who had similar symptoms and died from their infections in December
hellip [T]wo more suspected human cases have been reported and involve an 18-year-old
pregnant woman who is a contact of a patient in the initial cluster and a 14-year-old girl
from a neighboring village who had no epidemiologic links to the original three cluster
patients State and national task forces have been activated The WHO said surveillance in
humans and animals needs to be strengthened in the area while efforts continue to confirm
the cause of the outbreak CIDRAP New Scan (first item)
top of page
Uganda Doctors in Uganda warn crisis level blood
shortage is putting lives at risk
16 January - Uganda is grappling with a critical shortage of blood that is affecting services
and putting patientsrsquo lives at risk The health ministryrsquos blood bank facility in the capital
Kampala which stores and distributes supplies to hospitals is practically empty It has just
150 units of blood remaining not enough to meet requirements on an average day in the
city Nationally Uganda needs at least 340000 units of safe blood annually but usually only
collects 200000 a year A six-day countrywide blood collection drive was launched by the
ministry on Monday The Uganda Medical Association an umbrella organisation of doctors
in public health facilities said the shortage was ldquoalmost [at] crisis levelrdquo resulting in the
cancellation of hospital operations and prioritisation of cases The Guardian
top of page
United Republic of Tanzania Cholera
12 January - From 15 August 2015 through 7 January 2018 33421 cases including 542
deaths (case fatality rate = 162) have been reported across all 26 regions of the United
Republic of Tanzania (Tanzania mainland and Zanzibar) Tanzania mainland has reported
86 of the total cases in this outbreak Children under five years old accounted for 114 of
cases Since the beginning of the outbreak over 7000 specimens have been tested for
cholera and 47 were positive for Vibrio cholerae by culture From 1 January 2017 through
31 December 4985 cases including 99 deaths have been reported in Tanzania Mainland
and Zanzibar The number of cases as well as geographical spread of cholera has markedly
reduced compared to the two previous years WHO
top of page
Zambia Zambia relaxes restrictions as cholera outbreak
slows
14 January - Zambia on Sunday relaxed rules imposed to curb the spread of cholera as the
number of new cases being reported has halved Health Minister Chitalu Chilufya said
Schools and some markets will be allowed to re-open Chilufya told a news conference in
Lusaka Police arrested 55 people in the capital on Friday after residents rioted over a curfew
18
and ban on street vending The outbreak has killed 74 people since Oct 4 including 68 in
Lusaka Chilufya said The number of new cases has fallen to around 80 from 164 a week
ago Of the more than 3200 cases reported in total more than 3000 have been in Lusaka
All government and private schools will re-open on Jan 22 but Zambiarsquos two largest public
universities will remain closed for now President Edgar Lungu last month directed the
military to clean markets and unblock drains to help to fight the spread of the waterborne
disease Reuters
top of page
USCENTCOM
Yemen UN hopes imports will help stave off famine in
Yemen as diphtheria spreads
16 January - United Nations aid agencies called on Tuesday for the Yemeni port of
Hodeidah to remain open beyond Friday the date set by a Saudi-led military coalition to
permit continued delivery of life-saving goods Yemen is the worldrsquos worst humanitarian
crisis where 83 million people are entirely dependent on external food aid and 400000
children suffer from severe acute malnutrition a potentially lethal condition they said hellip
More than 11 million Yemeni children - virtually all - need humanitarian assistance Relano
said UNICEF figures show 25000 Yemeni babies die at birth or before the age of one
month hellip A diphtheria outbreak in Yemen is ldquospreading quicklyrdquo with 678 cases and 48
associated deaths in four months Fadela Chaib of the World Health Organisation said
Reuters
top of page
USEUCOM
Ukraine Ukraine conflict has increased spread of HIV in
silent epidemic
16 January - The conflict in eastern Ukraine has increased the
spread of HIV throughout the country as people have been
uprooted by the violence a new study finds hellip Ukraine has
among the highest HIV rates in Europe with an estimated
220000 infected in a country of about 45 million hellip The study
says the HIV crisis in Ukraine has become a silent epidemic because half of HIV-infected
people are unaware they have the infection and around 40 percent of newly diagnosed
people are in the later stages of the disease hellip [A]n international team of scientists hellip
analyzed viral migration patterns in Ukraine from 2012 to 2015 They found a correlation
between the movement of 17 million people uprooted by the war and the spread of HIV
19
hellip The HIV epidemic has shifted from being associated with drug injections in the 1990s to
most new infections now being spread by sexual transmission the study found
Radio Free EuropeRadio Liberty
top of page
United Kingdom Britain appoints minister for loneliness
amid growing isolation
17 January - Britain has appointed a minister for loneliness to take forward the work of
murdered lawmaker Jo Cox and tackle the isolation felt by more than one in ten people in
the UK Sports minister Tracey Crouch will take on the new role [to] develop a strategy to
address the problem which research has linked with dementia early mortality and high
blood pressure hellip The majority of people over 75 live alone and about 200000 older people
in the UK have not had a conversation with a friend or relative in more than a month
according to government data Most doctors in Britain see between one and five patients a
day who have come mainly because they are lonely according to the Campaign to End
Loneliness Reuters
top of page
United Kingdom Measles outbreak spreading across
England warn health officials
16 January - Public health experts are urging parents to immunise their children against
measles as the potentially deadly bug has now spread to five regions in England With more
than 100 cases confirmed Public Health England warns that the UK could be on the verge
of an outbreak due to a rise in cases across Europe People who have recently visited
Romania Italy and Germany and have not been fully immunised against measles via the
MMR vaccine may be most at risk they said hellip However not all cases are being spread by
those who have visited countries included in the European outbreak a spokesperson for
Public Health England told The Independent We know that measles cases are showing a
link to importation from Europe where there are ongoing outbreaks but the cases are also
spreading within the UK in under-vaccinated communities they explained
The Independent
top of page
United Kingdom UK drugs regulator plays down Brexit
disruption threat
16 January - Britainrsquos drugs regulator said on Tuesday it would work to minimise disruption
caused by the country leaving the European Union as it tried to allay some of the worst
fears of pharmaceutical companies The highly regulated drugs industry is concerned about
Brexit fallout as the European Medicines Agency (EMA) relocates from London to
Amsterdam creating uncertainty about drug approvals after 2019 The Medicines and
Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) said in an update on its website that it
20
hoped to have a continuing relationship with the EMA after Brexit but if this did not happen
it would be ldquopragmaticrdquo in setting UK drug rules hellip The agency also noted that London and
Brussels agreed last month that ldquogoods placed on the market under Union law before the
withdrawal date may freely circulate on the markets of the UK and the Union with no need
for product modifications or re-labellingrdquo The Association of the British Pharmaceutical
Industry hellip warned that planning for a scenario where Britain had a separate regulatory
system required further detail Reuters
top of page
USNORTHCOM
US FDA expects IV fluid shortage to improve in coming
weeks months
16 January - The US Food and Drug Administration said on Tuesday it expects a shortage
of intravenous saline fluids for hospitals due to damage to key manufacturing facilities in
Puerto Rico to improve over the coming weeks and months FDA Commissioner Scott
Gottlieb said that the FDA has approved IV saline products from more companies which is
expected to boost US supply He said the tight supply of saline products had been
exacerbated by increased demand as a result of a worse-than-normal flu season At the
same time Gottlieb said the agency is concerned about a potential shortage of IV
containers as demand for empty IV containers increases as an alternative to filled bags
Reuters
top of page
US Mapping how the opioid epidemic sparked an HIV
outbreak
14 January - When people started to show up to Dr William Cookes primary care office in
Austin Ind in 2014 with HIV Cooke knew it was probably related to the regions opioid
epidemic But what he and the rest of the public health community didnt know was who
they were missing or how long the HIV outbreak had been going on Now theyve got a
clearer picture mdash literally In visualizations published in the Journal of Infectious Diseases
dots and lines define the constellations of Indianas HIV outbreak Using genetic
sequencing they show how long the outbreak had been going on connected people who
hadnt previously been linked by traditional methods and showed how the virus jumped
from a slowly spreading infection to a virus transmitted quickly via needle sharing and
other smaller sub-epidemics NPR
top of page
21
US More $$ needed for health emergencies senators
told 17 January - The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) needs more funding to
effectively prepare for public health emergencies an HHS official said at a Senate hearing
Wednesday We cant do more things with limited resources Robert Kadlec MD HHS
assistant secretary for preparedness and response told members of the Senate Health
Education Labor amp Pensions (HELP) Committee hellip We have a $33 trillion healthcare
system of which we invest $250 million for preparedness Its just a drop in the bucket
The hearing focused on the pending reauthorization of the Pandemic and All-Hazards
Preparedness Act (PAHPA) a 2006 law that established Kadlecs position at HHS and
implemented several programs aimed at getting the nation ready for emergencies such as
developing and acquiring drugs and vaccines to be used when needed MedPage Today
top of page
US National Academies report endorses lower BAC
higher alcohol taxes 18 January - Getting to Zero Alcohol-Impaired Driving Fatalities a new report from the
National Academies of Sciences Engineering and Medicine recommends reducing state
laws criminalizing alcohol-impaired driving from 008 to 005 percent blood alcohol
concentration (BAC) increasing alcohol taxes significantly and other actions to address the
persistent problem of alcohol-impaired driving deaths There are more than 10000 alcohol-
impaired driving fatalities annually in the United States and the report says stakeholders
that range from transportation systems to alcohol retailers to law enforcement should join
forces to implement policies and systems to eliminate these preventable deaths The
committee that conducted the study and wrote the report recommended a number of
actions lowering state laws on BAC raising alcohol taxes significantly strengthening policies
to prevent illegal alcohol sales to people under 21 and to already intoxicated adults
enacting all-offender ignition interlock laws and providing effective treatment for offenders
when needed Occupational Health and Safety
top of page
US NIH study shows steep increase in rate of alcohol-
related ER visits 12 January - The rate of alcohol-related visits to US emergency departments (ED) increased
by nearly 50 percent between 2006 and 2014 especially among females and drinkers who
are middle-aged or older according to a new study conducted by researchers at the
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) part of the National Institutes
of Health hellip These increases far outpaced changes in the number and rate of ED visits for
any cause during the years studied hellip Although men account for more alcohol-related ED
visits than women the rate of such visits increased more among females than males (53
percent versus 40 percent annually) over the study period NIH
top of page
22
US Number of Americans without health insurance
grows in Trumps first year new figures show 16 January - The number of Americans without health coverage which declined for years
after passage of the Affordable Care Act shot up in President Trumprsquos first year in office
according to data from a new national survey At the end of 2017 122 of US adults
lacked health insurance up from 109 at the end of 2016 as President Obama was
completing his final term The increase of 13 percentage points although modest marks
the first time since at least 2008 that the share of adults without insurance increased from
the previous year hellip The increase indicates that 32 million Americans lost health coverage
in 2017 Gallup concluded Los Angeles Times
top of page
US The Big Number 3500 infants die of sleep-related
issues 13 January - Thatrsquos the number of babies in the United States who die each year as the
result of a sleep-related issue according to a new report from the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention The causes vary but child health experts believe many of the
deaths would be preventable if more parents adhered to safe-sleep practices For instance
babies should be placed on their backs to sleep but the CDC found that 22 percent of
moms placed babies on their side or stomach Soft bedding mdash blankets pillows bumper
pads mdash should be kept out of the sleep area but 39 percent of moms said they used soft
bedding And itrsquos a good idea to share a room with an infant but not a bed with a baby Still
61 percent of moms told the CDC they had slept with their babies The Washington Post
top of page
US US faces oversupply of antibiotic-free chicken -
Sanderson Farms 16 January - Supplies of chicken raised without antibiotics are outstripping demand a major
US poultry producer said on Tuesday a sign of overproduction that could eat into
processorsrsquo profits Large chicken and restaurant companies including Tyson Foods Inc and
McDonaldrsquos Corp have raced to cut antibiotics from poultry supplies as public health
experts have warned about the link between use of the drugs in farms and the rise of drug-
resistant bacteria Antibiotic-free chickens made up an average of 405 percent of all fresh
US production for the first 10 months of 2017 Sanderson Farms Inc said in a regulatory
filing However only 64 percent of sales were for products sold as antibiotic-free (ABF)
according to Sanderson the third-largest US poultry producer Reuters
top of page
US US government to shield health workers under
religious freedom 18 January - The US government is seeking to further protect the ldquoconscience and religious
23
freedomrdquo of health workers whose beliefs prevent them from carrying out abortions and
other procedures in an effort likely to please conservative Christian activists and other
supporters of President Donald Trump The US Department of Health and Human Services
said on Thursday it will create a division within its Office of Civil Rights to give it ldquothe focus it
needs to more vigorously and effectively enforce existing laws protecting the rights of
conscience and religious freedomrdquo Healthcare workers hospitals with religious affiliations
and medical students among others have been ldquobulliedrdquo by the federal government to
provide these services despite existing laws on religious and conscience rights the top HHS
official said Reuters
top of page
USPACOM
Bangladesh Cold wave
12 January - Severe cold wave is sweeping over Bangladesh It was recorded the lowest in
Bangladeshrsquos history at 26 degrees yesterday in Tetulia Rangpur division hellip According to
the MET office the cold wave is likely to continue till January 14 and one or two more cold
waves are expected later this month hellip The cold wave has disrupted the lives of many in
northern Bangladesh Poor people particularly the farmers and rickshaw-pullers have been
affected badly Children and elderly people are the worst affected Twenty-seven (27)
persons have been reported dead ReliefWeb
top of page
Indonesia Indonesia sends military to help fight health
crisis in Papua
17 January - Indonesia is deploying military paramedics to carry food and vaccines to a
remote part of its easternmost province of Papua where reports say at least 61 infants died
from malnutrition and diseases such as measles hellip The situation in the remote Asmat
regency was an ldquoextraordinary incidentrdquo the health ministry said in a statement adding that
it was sending 39 health workers there The Indonesian military has sent 53 personnel
including paramedics besides medical equipment vaccines and 11100 packages of instant
food it added hellip ldquoThere is a link between the malnutrition and (catching) other diseasesrdquo
[Health Minister Nila] Moeloek added ldquoIf yoursquore undernourished you will get those
diseasesrdquo Reuters
top of page
Philippines Sanofi will reimburse Philippines
government for unused Dengvaxia
16 January - Yesterday Sanofi Pasteur the French pharmaceutical giant announced it will
reimburse the Philippines government for unused doses of Dengvaxia its controversial
24
dengue vaccine The announcement comes weeks after the company recommended the
vaccine not be used in people without prior dengue infections as it may prime dengue-
naive recipients for more severe infections More than 800000 Filipino children had already
received Dengvaxia when the recommendation was made Sanofi Pasteur has responded
positively to the Philippine Department of Healths (DoH) request that we provide
reimbursement for the doses of Dengvaxia that were not used by the government in the
public vaccination program the company said CIDRAP News Scan (third item)
top of page
USSOUTHCOM
Brazil WHO recommends yellow fever shot to Sao Paulo
visitors
16 January - The World Health Organization said on Tuesday that the whole of Sao Paulo
state which includes Brazilrsquos largest city Sao Paulo should be considered at risk for yellow
fever and recommended foreign travelers get vaccinated before visiting But Brazilrsquos Health
Ministry said the WHO recommendation coming just weeks before Carnival when tens of
thousands of tourists descend on Brazil would not cause it to change its advisory that only
travelers going to rural areas need to get vaccinated Deputy Health Minister Antonio Carlos
Nardi said Carnival celebrations in February were in urban areas and that visitors would not
be at risk if they stayed in cities Nardi said the number of cases had risen again this year
but that there was no outbreak of yellow fever in the country Reuters
top of page
25
US Military | Global | Influenza | VeterinaryFood Safety | Wellness | Contact Us
USAFRICOM | USCENTCOM | USEUCOM | USNORTHCOM | USPACOM | USSOUTHCOM
The Army Public Health Weekly Update does not analyze the information as to its strategic or tactical impact on the US Army and is not a medical
intelligence product Medical intelligence is available from the National Center for Medical Intelligence
External Links The appearance of external hyperlinks does not constitute endorsement by the US Army of this Web site or the information products
or services contained therein For other than authorized activities such as military exchanges and MWR sites the US Army does not exercise any
editorial control over the information you may find at these locations Such links are provided consistent with the stated purpose of this product
Although we avoid links to sites that may be blocked all sites may not be accessible from all locations While we verify the links at the time of
publication we cannot guarantee that they will be active in the future
Articles appearing in the Update do not necessarily represent US Army Medical Command opinionsviews policy or guidance and should not be
construed or interpreted as being endorsed by the US Army Medical Command
The Army Public Health Weekly Update is published by the Public Health Information Directorate Army Public Health Center
18
and ban on street vending The outbreak has killed 74 people since Oct 4 including 68 in
Lusaka Chilufya said The number of new cases has fallen to around 80 from 164 a week
ago Of the more than 3200 cases reported in total more than 3000 have been in Lusaka
All government and private schools will re-open on Jan 22 but Zambiarsquos two largest public
universities will remain closed for now President Edgar Lungu last month directed the
military to clean markets and unblock drains to help to fight the spread of the waterborne
disease Reuters
top of page
USCENTCOM
Yemen UN hopes imports will help stave off famine in
Yemen as diphtheria spreads
16 January - United Nations aid agencies called on Tuesday for the Yemeni port of
Hodeidah to remain open beyond Friday the date set by a Saudi-led military coalition to
permit continued delivery of life-saving goods Yemen is the worldrsquos worst humanitarian
crisis where 83 million people are entirely dependent on external food aid and 400000
children suffer from severe acute malnutrition a potentially lethal condition they said hellip
More than 11 million Yemeni children - virtually all - need humanitarian assistance Relano
said UNICEF figures show 25000 Yemeni babies die at birth or before the age of one
month hellip A diphtheria outbreak in Yemen is ldquospreading quicklyrdquo with 678 cases and 48
associated deaths in four months Fadela Chaib of the World Health Organisation said
Reuters
top of page
USEUCOM
Ukraine Ukraine conflict has increased spread of HIV in
silent epidemic
16 January - The conflict in eastern Ukraine has increased the
spread of HIV throughout the country as people have been
uprooted by the violence a new study finds hellip Ukraine has
among the highest HIV rates in Europe with an estimated
220000 infected in a country of about 45 million hellip The study
says the HIV crisis in Ukraine has become a silent epidemic because half of HIV-infected
people are unaware they have the infection and around 40 percent of newly diagnosed
people are in the later stages of the disease hellip [A]n international team of scientists hellip
analyzed viral migration patterns in Ukraine from 2012 to 2015 They found a correlation
between the movement of 17 million people uprooted by the war and the spread of HIV
19
hellip The HIV epidemic has shifted from being associated with drug injections in the 1990s to
most new infections now being spread by sexual transmission the study found
Radio Free EuropeRadio Liberty
top of page
United Kingdom Britain appoints minister for loneliness
amid growing isolation
17 January - Britain has appointed a minister for loneliness to take forward the work of
murdered lawmaker Jo Cox and tackle the isolation felt by more than one in ten people in
the UK Sports minister Tracey Crouch will take on the new role [to] develop a strategy to
address the problem which research has linked with dementia early mortality and high
blood pressure hellip The majority of people over 75 live alone and about 200000 older people
in the UK have not had a conversation with a friend or relative in more than a month
according to government data Most doctors in Britain see between one and five patients a
day who have come mainly because they are lonely according to the Campaign to End
Loneliness Reuters
top of page
United Kingdom Measles outbreak spreading across
England warn health officials
16 January - Public health experts are urging parents to immunise their children against
measles as the potentially deadly bug has now spread to five regions in England With more
than 100 cases confirmed Public Health England warns that the UK could be on the verge
of an outbreak due to a rise in cases across Europe People who have recently visited
Romania Italy and Germany and have not been fully immunised against measles via the
MMR vaccine may be most at risk they said hellip However not all cases are being spread by
those who have visited countries included in the European outbreak a spokesperson for
Public Health England told The Independent We know that measles cases are showing a
link to importation from Europe where there are ongoing outbreaks but the cases are also
spreading within the UK in under-vaccinated communities they explained
The Independent
top of page
United Kingdom UK drugs regulator plays down Brexit
disruption threat
16 January - Britainrsquos drugs regulator said on Tuesday it would work to minimise disruption
caused by the country leaving the European Union as it tried to allay some of the worst
fears of pharmaceutical companies The highly regulated drugs industry is concerned about
Brexit fallout as the European Medicines Agency (EMA) relocates from London to
Amsterdam creating uncertainty about drug approvals after 2019 The Medicines and
Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) said in an update on its website that it
20
hoped to have a continuing relationship with the EMA after Brexit but if this did not happen
it would be ldquopragmaticrdquo in setting UK drug rules hellip The agency also noted that London and
Brussels agreed last month that ldquogoods placed on the market under Union law before the
withdrawal date may freely circulate on the markets of the UK and the Union with no need
for product modifications or re-labellingrdquo The Association of the British Pharmaceutical
Industry hellip warned that planning for a scenario where Britain had a separate regulatory
system required further detail Reuters
top of page
USNORTHCOM
US FDA expects IV fluid shortage to improve in coming
weeks months
16 January - The US Food and Drug Administration said on Tuesday it expects a shortage
of intravenous saline fluids for hospitals due to damage to key manufacturing facilities in
Puerto Rico to improve over the coming weeks and months FDA Commissioner Scott
Gottlieb said that the FDA has approved IV saline products from more companies which is
expected to boost US supply He said the tight supply of saline products had been
exacerbated by increased demand as a result of a worse-than-normal flu season At the
same time Gottlieb said the agency is concerned about a potential shortage of IV
containers as demand for empty IV containers increases as an alternative to filled bags
Reuters
top of page
US Mapping how the opioid epidemic sparked an HIV
outbreak
14 January - When people started to show up to Dr William Cookes primary care office in
Austin Ind in 2014 with HIV Cooke knew it was probably related to the regions opioid
epidemic But what he and the rest of the public health community didnt know was who
they were missing or how long the HIV outbreak had been going on Now theyve got a
clearer picture mdash literally In visualizations published in the Journal of Infectious Diseases
dots and lines define the constellations of Indianas HIV outbreak Using genetic
sequencing they show how long the outbreak had been going on connected people who
hadnt previously been linked by traditional methods and showed how the virus jumped
from a slowly spreading infection to a virus transmitted quickly via needle sharing and
other smaller sub-epidemics NPR
top of page
21
US More $$ needed for health emergencies senators
told 17 January - The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) needs more funding to
effectively prepare for public health emergencies an HHS official said at a Senate hearing
Wednesday We cant do more things with limited resources Robert Kadlec MD HHS
assistant secretary for preparedness and response told members of the Senate Health
Education Labor amp Pensions (HELP) Committee hellip We have a $33 trillion healthcare
system of which we invest $250 million for preparedness Its just a drop in the bucket
The hearing focused on the pending reauthorization of the Pandemic and All-Hazards
Preparedness Act (PAHPA) a 2006 law that established Kadlecs position at HHS and
implemented several programs aimed at getting the nation ready for emergencies such as
developing and acquiring drugs and vaccines to be used when needed MedPage Today
top of page
US National Academies report endorses lower BAC
higher alcohol taxes 18 January - Getting to Zero Alcohol-Impaired Driving Fatalities a new report from the
National Academies of Sciences Engineering and Medicine recommends reducing state
laws criminalizing alcohol-impaired driving from 008 to 005 percent blood alcohol
concentration (BAC) increasing alcohol taxes significantly and other actions to address the
persistent problem of alcohol-impaired driving deaths There are more than 10000 alcohol-
impaired driving fatalities annually in the United States and the report says stakeholders
that range from transportation systems to alcohol retailers to law enforcement should join
forces to implement policies and systems to eliminate these preventable deaths The
committee that conducted the study and wrote the report recommended a number of
actions lowering state laws on BAC raising alcohol taxes significantly strengthening policies
to prevent illegal alcohol sales to people under 21 and to already intoxicated adults
enacting all-offender ignition interlock laws and providing effective treatment for offenders
when needed Occupational Health and Safety
top of page
US NIH study shows steep increase in rate of alcohol-
related ER visits 12 January - The rate of alcohol-related visits to US emergency departments (ED) increased
by nearly 50 percent between 2006 and 2014 especially among females and drinkers who
are middle-aged or older according to a new study conducted by researchers at the
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) part of the National Institutes
of Health hellip These increases far outpaced changes in the number and rate of ED visits for
any cause during the years studied hellip Although men account for more alcohol-related ED
visits than women the rate of such visits increased more among females than males (53
percent versus 40 percent annually) over the study period NIH
top of page
22
US Number of Americans without health insurance
grows in Trumps first year new figures show 16 January - The number of Americans without health coverage which declined for years
after passage of the Affordable Care Act shot up in President Trumprsquos first year in office
according to data from a new national survey At the end of 2017 122 of US adults
lacked health insurance up from 109 at the end of 2016 as President Obama was
completing his final term The increase of 13 percentage points although modest marks
the first time since at least 2008 that the share of adults without insurance increased from
the previous year hellip The increase indicates that 32 million Americans lost health coverage
in 2017 Gallup concluded Los Angeles Times
top of page
US The Big Number 3500 infants die of sleep-related
issues 13 January - Thatrsquos the number of babies in the United States who die each year as the
result of a sleep-related issue according to a new report from the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention The causes vary but child health experts believe many of the
deaths would be preventable if more parents adhered to safe-sleep practices For instance
babies should be placed on their backs to sleep but the CDC found that 22 percent of
moms placed babies on their side or stomach Soft bedding mdash blankets pillows bumper
pads mdash should be kept out of the sleep area but 39 percent of moms said they used soft
bedding And itrsquos a good idea to share a room with an infant but not a bed with a baby Still
61 percent of moms told the CDC they had slept with their babies The Washington Post
top of page
US US faces oversupply of antibiotic-free chicken -
Sanderson Farms 16 January - Supplies of chicken raised without antibiotics are outstripping demand a major
US poultry producer said on Tuesday a sign of overproduction that could eat into
processorsrsquo profits Large chicken and restaurant companies including Tyson Foods Inc and
McDonaldrsquos Corp have raced to cut antibiotics from poultry supplies as public health
experts have warned about the link between use of the drugs in farms and the rise of drug-
resistant bacteria Antibiotic-free chickens made up an average of 405 percent of all fresh
US production for the first 10 months of 2017 Sanderson Farms Inc said in a regulatory
filing However only 64 percent of sales were for products sold as antibiotic-free (ABF)
according to Sanderson the third-largest US poultry producer Reuters
top of page
US US government to shield health workers under
religious freedom 18 January - The US government is seeking to further protect the ldquoconscience and religious
23
freedomrdquo of health workers whose beliefs prevent them from carrying out abortions and
other procedures in an effort likely to please conservative Christian activists and other
supporters of President Donald Trump The US Department of Health and Human Services
said on Thursday it will create a division within its Office of Civil Rights to give it ldquothe focus it
needs to more vigorously and effectively enforce existing laws protecting the rights of
conscience and religious freedomrdquo Healthcare workers hospitals with religious affiliations
and medical students among others have been ldquobulliedrdquo by the federal government to
provide these services despite existing laws on religious and conscience rights the top HHS
official said Reuters
top of page
USPACOM
Bangladesh Cold wave
12 January - Severe cold wave is sweeping over Bangladesh It was recorded the lowest in
Bangladeshrsquos history at 26 degrees yesterday in Tetulia Rangpur division hellip According to
the MET office the cold wave is likely to continue till January 14 and one or two more cold
waves are expected later this month hellip The cold wave has disrupted the lives of many in
northern Bangladesh Poor people particularly the farmers and rickshaw-pullers have been
affected badly Children and elderly people are the worst affected Twenty-seven (27)
persons have been reported dead ReliefWeb
top of page
Indonesia Indonesia sends military to help fight health
crisis in Papua
17 January - Indonesia is deploying military paramedics to carry food and vaccines to a
remote part of its easternmost province of Papua where reports say at least 61 infants died
from malnutrition and diseases such as measles hellip The situation in the remote Asmat
regency was an ldquoextraordinary incidentrdquo the health ministry said in a statement adding that
it was sending 39 health workers there The Indonesian military has sent 53 personnel
including paramedics besides medical equipment vaccines and 11100 packages of instant
food it added hellip ldquoThere is a link between the malnutrition and (catching) other diseasesrdquo
[Health Minister Nila] Moeloek added ldquoIf yoursquore undernourished you will get those
diseasesrdquo Reuters
top of page
Philippines Sanofi will reimburse Philippines
government for unused Dengvaxia
16 January - Yesterday Sanofi Pasteur the French pharmaceutical giant announced it will
reimburse the Philippines government for unused doses of Dengvaxia its controversial
24
dengue vaccine The announcement comes weeks after the company recommended the
vaccine not be used in people without prior dengue infections as it may prime dengue-
naive recipients for more severe infections More than 800000 Filipino children had already
received Dengvaxia when the recommendation was made Sanofi Pasteur has responded
positively to the Philippine Department of Healths (DoH) request that we provide
reimbursement for the doses of Dengvaxia that were not used by the government in the
public vaccination program the company said CIDRAP News Scan (third item)
top of page
USSOUTHCOM
Brazil WHO recommends yellow fever shot to Sao Paulo
visitors
16 January - The World Health Organization said on Tuesday that the whole of Sao Paulo
state which includes Brazilrsquos largest city Sao Paulo should be considered at risk for yellow
fever and recommended foreign travelers get vaccinated before visiting But Brazilrsquos Health
Ministry said the WHO recommendation coming just weeks before Carnival when tens of
thousands of tourists descend on Brazil would not cause it to change its advisory that only
travelers going to rural areas need to get vaccinated Deputy Health Minister Antonio Carlos
Nardi said Carnival celebrations in February were in urban areas and that visitors would not
be at risk if they stayed in cities Nardi said the number of cases had risen again this year
but that there was no outbreak of yellow fever in the country Reuters
top of page
25
US Military | Global | Influenza | VeterinaryFood Safety | Wellness | Contact Us
USAFRICOM | USCENTCOM | USEUCOM | USNORTHCOM | USPACOM | USSOUTHCOM
The Army Public Health Weekly Update does not analyze the information as to its strategic or tactical impact on the US Army and is not a medical
intelligence product Medical intelligence is available from the National Center for Medical Intelligence
External Links The appearance of external hyperlinks does not constitute endorsement by the US Army of this Web site or the information products
or services contained therein For other than authorized activities such as military exchanges and MWR sites the US Army does not exercise any
editorial control over the information you may find at these locations Such links are provided consistent with the stated purpose of this product
Although we avoid links to sites that may be blocked all sites may not be accessible from all locations While we verify the links at the time of
publication we cannot guarantee that they will be active in the future
Articles appearing in the Update do not necessarily represent US Army Medical Command opinionsviews policy or guidance and should not be
construed or interpreted as being endorsed by the US Army Medical Command
The Army Public Health Weekly Update is published by the Public Health Information Directorate Army Public Health Center
19
hellip The HIV epidemic has shifted from being associated with drug injections in the 1990s to
most new infections now being spread by sexual transmission the study found
Radio Free EuropeRadio Liberty
top of page
United Kingdom Britain appoints minister for loneliness
amid growing isolation
17 January - Britain has appointed a minister for loneliness to take forward the work of
murdered lawmaker Jo Cox and tackle the isolation felt by more than one in ten people in
the UK Sports minister Tracey Crouch will take on the new role [to] develop a strategy to
address the problem which research has linked with dementia early mortality and high
blood pressure hellip The majority of people over 75 live alone and about 200000 older people
in the UK have not had a conversation with a friend or relative in more than a month
according to government data Most doctors in Britain see between one and five patients a
day who have come mainly because they are lonely according to the Campaign to End
Loneliness Reuters
top of page
United Kingdom Measles outbreak spreading across
England warn health officials
16 January - Public health experts are urging parents to immunise their children against
measles as the potentially deadly bug has now spread to five regions in England With more
than 100 cases confirmed Public Health England warns that the UK could be on the verge
of an outbreak due to a rise in cases across Europe People who have recently visited
Romania Italy and Germany and have not been fully immunised against measles via the
MMR vaccine may be most at risk they said hellip However not all cases are being spread by
those who have visited countries included in the European outbreak a spokesperson for
Public Health England told The Independent We know that measles cases are showing a
link to importation from Europe where there are ongoing outbreaks but the cases are also
spreading within the UK in under-vaccinated communities they explained
The Independent
top of page
United Kingdom UK drugs regulator plays down Brexit
disruption threat
16 January - Britainrsquos drugs regulator said on Tuesday it would work to minimise disruption
caused by the country leaving the European Union as it tried to allay some of the worst
fears of pharmaceutical companies The highly regulated drugs industry is concerned about
Brexit fallout as the European Medicines Agency (EMA) relocates from London to
Amsterdam creating uncertainty about drug approvals after 2019 The Medicines and
Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) said in an update on its website that it
20
hoped to have a continuing relationship with the EMA after Brexit but if this did not happen
it would be ldquopragmaticrdquo in setting UK drug rules hellip The agency also noted that London and
Brussels agreed last month that ldquogoods placed on the market under Union law before the
withdrawal date may freely circulate on the markets of the UK and the Union with no need
for product modifications or re-labellingrdquo The Association of the British Pharmaceutical
Industry hellip warned that planning for a scenario where Britain had a separate regulatory
system required further detail Reuters
top of page
USNORTHCOM
US FDA expects IV fluid shortage to improve in coming
weeks months
16 January - The US Food and Drug Administration said on Tuesday it expects a shortage
of intravenous saline fluids for hospitals due to damage to key manufacturing facilities in
Puerto Rico to improve over the coming weeks and months FDA Commissioner Scott
Gottlieb said that the FDA has approved IV saline products from more companies which is
expected to boost US supply He said the tight supply of saline products had been
exacerbated by increased demand as a result of a worse-than-normal flu season At the
same time Gottlieb said the agency is concerned about a potential shortage of IV
containers as demand for empty IV containers increases as an alternative to filled bags
Reuters
top of page
US Mapping how the opioid epidemic sparked an HIV
outbreak
14 January - When people started to show up to Dr William Cookes primary care office in
Austin Ind in 2014 with HIV Cooke knew it was probably related to the regions opioid
epidemic But what he and the rest of the public health community didnt know was who
they were missing or how long the HIV outbreak had been going on Now theyve got a
clearer picture mdash literally In visualizations published in the Journal of Infectious Diseases
dots and lines define the constellations of Indianas HIV outbreak Using genetic
sequencing they show how long the outbreak had been going on connected people who
hadnt previously been linked by traditional methods and showed how the virus jumped
from a slowly spreading infection to a virus transmitted quickly via needle sharing and
other smaller sub-epidemics NPR
top of page
21
US More $$ needed for health emergencies senators
told 17 January - The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) needs more funding to
effectively prepare for public health emergencies an HHS official said at a Senate hearing
Wednesday We cant do more things with limited resources Robert Kadlec MD HHS
assistant secretary for preparedness and response told members of the Senate Health
Education Labor amp Pensions (HELP) Committee hellip We have a $33 trillion healthcare
system of which we invest $250 million for preparedness Its just a drop in the bucket
The hearing focused on the pending reauthorization of the Pandemic and All-Hazards
Preparedness Act (PAHPA) a 2006 law that established Kadlecs position at HHS and
implemented several programs aimed at getting the nation ready for emergencies such as
developing and acquiring drugs and vaccines to be used when needed MedPage Today
top of page
US National Academies report endorses lower BAC
higher alcohol taxes 18 January - Getting to Zero Alcohol-Impaired Driving Fatalities a new report from the
National Academies of Sciences Engineering and Medicine recommends reducing state
laws criminalizing alcohol-impaired driving from 008 to 005 percent blood alcohol
concentration (BAC) increasing alcohol taxes significantly and other actions to address the
persistent problem of alcohol-impaired driving deaths There are more than 10000 alcohol-
impaired driving fatalities annually in the United States and the report says stakeholders
that range from transportation systems to alcohol retailers to law enforcement should join
forces to implement policies and systems to eliminate these preventable deaths The
committee that conducted the study and wrote the report recommended a number of
actions lowering state laws on BAC raising alcohol taxes significantly strengthening policies
to prevent illegal alcohol sales to people under 21 and to already intoxicated adults
enacting all-offender ignition interlock laws and providing effective treatment for offenders
when needed Occupational Health and Safety
top of page
US NIH study shows steep increase in rate of alcohol-
related ER visits 12 January - The rate of alcohol-related visits to US emergency departments (ED) increased
by nearly 50 percent between 2006 and 2014 especially among females and drinkers who
are middle-aged or older according to a new study conducted by researchers at the
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) part of the National Institutes
of Health hellip These increases far outpaced changes in the number and rate of ED visits for
any cause during the years studied hellip Although men account for more alcohol-related ED
visits than women the rate of such visits increased more among females than males (53
percent versus 40 percent annually) over the study period NIH
top of page
22
US Number of Americans without health insurance
grows in Trumps first year new figures show 16 January - The number of Americans without health coverage which declined for years
after passage of the Affordable Care Act shot up in President Trumprsquos first year in office
according to data from a new national survey At the end of 2017 122 of US adults
lacked health insurance up from 109 at the end of 2016 as President Obama was
completing his final term The increase of 13 percentage points although modest marks
the first time since at least 2008 that the share of adults without insurance increased from
the previous year hellip The increase indicates that 32 million Americans lost health coverage
in 2017 Gallup concluded Los Angeles Times
top of page
US The Big Number 3500 infants die of sleep-related
issues 13 January - Thatrsquos the number of babies in the United States who die each year as the
result of a sleep-related issue according to a new report from the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention The causes vary but child health experts believe many of the
deaths would be preventable if more parents adhered to safe-sleep practices For instance
babies should be placed on their backs to sleep but the CDC found that 22 percent of
moms placed babies on their side or stomach Soft bedding mdash blankets pillows bumper
pads mdash should be kept out of the sleep area but 39 percent of moms said they used soft
bedding And itrsquos a good idea to share a room with an infant but not a bed with a baby Still
61 percent of moms told the CDC they had slept with their babies The Washington Post
top of page
US US faces oversupply of antibiotic-free chicken -
Sanderson Farms 16 January - Supplies of chicken raised without antibiotics are outstripping demand a major
US poultry producer said on Tuesday a sign of overproduction that could eat into
processorsrsquo profits Large chicken and restaurant companies including Tyson Foods Inc and
McDonaldrsquos Corp have raced to cut antibiotics from poultry supplies as public health
experts have warned about the link between use of the drugs in farms and the rise of drug-
resistant bacteria Antibiotic-free chickens made up an average of 405 percent of all fresh
US production for the first 10 months of 2017 Sanderson Farms Inc said in a regulatory
filing However only 64 percent of sales were for products sold as antibiotic-free (ABF)
according to Sanderson the third-largest US poultry producer Reuters
top of page
US US government to shield health workers under
religious freedom 18 January - The US government is seeking to further protect the ldquoconscience and religious
23
freedomrdquo of health workers whose beliefs prevent them from carrying out abortions and
other procedures in an effort likely to please conservative Christian activists and other
supporters of President Donald Trump The US Department of Health and Human Services
said on Thursday it will create a division within its Office of Civil Rights to give it ldquothe focus it
needs to more vigorously and effectively enforce existing laws protecting the rights of
conscience and religious freedomrdquo Healthcare workers hospitals with religious affiliations
and medical students among others have been ldquobulliedrdquo by the federal government to
provide these services despite existing laws on religious and conscience rights the top HHS
official said Reuters
top of page
USPACOM
Bangladesh Cold wave
12 January - Severe cold wave is sweeping over Bangladesh It was recorded the lowest in
Bangladeshrsquos history at 26 degrees yesterday in Tetulia Rangpur division hellip According to
the MET office the cold wave is likely to continue till January 14 and one or two more cold
waves are expected later this month hellip The cold wave has disrupted the lives of many in
northern Bangladesh Poor people particularly the farmers and rickshaw-pullers have been
affected badly Children and elderly people are the worst affected Twenty-seven (27)
persons have been reported dead ReliefWeb
top of page
Indonesia Indonesia sends military to help fight health
crisis in Papua
17 January - Indonesia is deploying military paramedics to carry food and vaccines to a
remote part of its easternmost province of Papua where reports say at least 61 infants died
from malnutrition and diseases such as measles hellip The situation in the remote Asmat
regency was an ldquoextraordinary incidentrdquo the health ministry said in a statement adding that
it was sending 39 health workers there The Indonesian military has sent 53 personnel
including paramedics besides medical equipment vaccines and 11100 packages of instant
food it added hellip ldquoThere is a link between the malnutrition and (catching) other diseasesrdquo
[Health Minister Nila] Moeloek added ldquoIf yoursquore undernourished you will get those
diseasesrdquo Reuters
top of page
Philippines Sanofi will reimburse Philippines
government for unused Dengvaxia
16 January - Yesterday Sanofi Pasteur the French pharmaceutical giant announced it will
reimburse the Philippines government for unused doses of Dengvaxia its controversial
24
dengue vaccine The announcement comes weeks after the company recommended the
vaccine not be used in people without prior dengue infections as it may prime dengue-
naive recipients for more severe infections More than 800000 Filipino children had already
received Dengvaxia when the recommendation was made Sanofi Pasteur has responded
positively to the Philippine Department of Healths (DoH) request that we provide
reimbursement for the doses of Dengvaxia that were not used by the government in the
public vaccination program the company said CIDRAP News Scan (third item)
top of page
USSOUTHCOM
Brazil WHO recommends yellow fever shot to Sao Paulo
visitors
16 January - The World Health Organization said on Tuesday that the whole of Sao Paulo
state which includes Brazilrsquos largest city Sao Paulo should be considered at risk for yellow
fever and recommended foreign travelers get vaccinated before visiting But Brazilrsquos Health
Ministry said the WHO recommendation coming just weeks before Carnival when tens of
thousands of tourists descend on Brazil would not cause it to change its advisory that only
travelers going to rural areas need to get vaccinated Deputy Health Minister Antonio Carlos
Nardi said Carnival celebrations in February were in urban areas and that visitors would not
be at risk if they stayed in cities Nardi said the number of cases had risen again this year
but that there was no outbreak of yellow fever in the country Reuters
top of page
25
US Military | Global | Influenza | VeterinaryFood Safety | Wellness | Contact Us
USAFRICOM | USCENTCOM | USEUCOM | USNORTHCOM | USPACOM | USSOUTHCOM
The Army Public Health Weekly Update does not analyze the information as to its strategic or tactical impact on the US Army and is not a medical
intelligence product Medical intelligence is available from the National Center for Medical Intelligence
External Links The appearance of external hyperlinks does not constitute endorsement by the US Army of this Web site or the information products
or services contained therein For other than authorized activities such as military exchanges and MWR sites the US Army does not exercise any
editorial control over the information you may find at these locations Such links are provided consistent with the stated purpose of this product
Although we avoid links to sites that may be blocked all sites may not be accessible from all locations While we verify the links at the time of
publication we cannot guarantee that they will be active in the future
Articles appearing in the Update do not necessarily represent US Army Medical Command opinionsviews policy or guidance and should not be
construed or interpreted as being endorsed by the US Army Medical Command
The Army Public Health Weekly Update is published by the Public Health Information Directorate Army Public Health Center
20
hoped to have a continuing relationship with the EMA after Brexit but if this did not happen
it would be ldquopragmaticrdquo in setting UK drug rules hellip The agency also noted that London and
Brussels agreed last month that ldquogoods placed on the market under Union law before the
withdrawal date may freely circulate on the markets of the UK and the Union with no need
for product modifications or re-labellingrdquo The Association of the British Pharmaceutical
Industry hellip warned that planning for a scenario where Britain had a separate regulatory
system required further detail Reuters
top of page
USNORTHCOM
US FDA expects IV fluid shortage to improve in coming
weeks months
16 January - The US Food and Drug Administration said on Tuesday it expects a shortage
of intravenous saline fluids for hospitals due to damage to key manufacturing facilities in
Puerto Rico to improve over the coming weeks and months FDA Commissioner Scott
Gottlieb said that the FDA has approved IV saline products from more companies which is
expected to boost US supply He said the tight supply of saline products had been
exacerbated by increased demand as a result of a worse-than-normal flu season At the
same time Gottlieb said the agency is concerned about a potential shortage of IV
containers as demand for empty IV containers increases as an alternative to filled bags
Reuters
top of page
US Mapping how the opioid epidemic sparked an HIV
outbreak
14 January - When people started to show up to Dr William Cookes primary care office in
Austin Ind in 2014 with HIV Cooke knew it was probably related to the regions opioid
epidemic But what he and the rest of the public health community didnt know was who
they were missing or how long the HIV outbreak had been going on Now theyve got a
clearer picture mdash literally In visualizations published in the Journal of Infectious Diseases
dots and lines define the constellations of Indianas HIV outbreak Using genetic
sequencing they show how long the outbreak had been going on connected people who
hadnt previously been linked by traditional methods and showed how the virus jumped
from a slowly spreading infection to a virus transmitted quickly via needle sharing and
other smaller sub-epidemics NPR
top of page
21
US More $$ needed for health emergencies senators
told 17 January - The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) needs more funding to
effectively prepare for public health emergencies an HHS official said at a Senate hearing
Wednesday We cant do more things with limited resources Robert Kadlec MD HHS
assistant secretary for preparedness and response told members of the Senate Health
Education Labor amp Pensions (HELP) Committee hellip We have a $33 trillion healthcare
system of which we invest $250 million for preparedness Its just a drop in the bucket
The hearing focused on the pending reauthorization of the Pandemic and All-Hazards
Preparedness Act (PAHPA) a 2006 law that established Kadlecs position at HHS and
implemented several programs aimed at getting the nation ready for emergencies such as
developing and acquiring drugs and vaccines to be used when needed MedPage Today
top of page
US National Academies report endorses lower BAC
higher alcohol taxes 18 January - Getting to Zero Alcohol-Impaired Driving Fatalities a new report from the
National Academies of Sciences Engineering and Medicine recommends reducing state
laws criminalizing alcohol-impaired driving from 008 to 005 percent blood alcohol
concentration (BAC) increasing alcohol taxes significantly and other actions to address the
persistent problem of alcohol-impaired driving deaths There are more than 10000 alcohol-
impaired driving fatalities annually in the United States and the report says stakeholders
that range from transportation systems to alcohol retailers to law enforcement should join
forces to implement policies and systems to eliminate these preventable deaths The
committee that conducted the study and wrote the report recommended a number of
actions lowering state laws on BAC raising alcohol taxes significantly strengthening policies
to prevent illegal alcohol sales to people under 21 and to already intoxicated adults
enacting all-offender ignition interlock laws and providing effective treatment for offenders
when needed Occupational Health and Safety
top of page
US NIH study shows steep increase in rate of alcohol-
related ER visits 12 January - The rate of alcohol-related visits to US emergency departments (ED) increased
by nearly 50 percent between 2006 and 2014 especially among females and drinkers who
are middle-aged or older according to a new study conducted by researchers at the
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) part of the National Institutes
of Health hellip These increases far outpaced changes in the number and rate of ED visits for
any cause during the years studied hellip Although men account for more alcohol-related ED
visits than women the rate of such visits increased more among females than males (53
percent versus 40 percent annually) over the study period NIH
top of page
22
US Number of Americans without health insurance
grows in Trumps first year new figures show 16 January - The number of Americans without health coverage which declined for years
after passage of the Affordable Care Act shot up in President Trumprsquos first year in office
according to data from a new national survey At the end of 2017 122 of US adults
lacked health insurance up from 109 at the end of 2016 as President Obama was
completing his final term The increase of 13 percentage points although modest marks
the first time since at least 2008 that the share of adults without insurance increased from
the previous year hellip The increase indicates that 32 million Americans lost health coverage
in 2017 Gallup concluded Los Angeles Times
top of page
US The Big Number 3500 infants die of sleep-related
issues 13 January - Thatrsquos the number of babies in the United States who die each year as the
result of a sleep-related issue according to a new report from the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention The causes vary but child health experts believe many of the
deaths would be preventable if more parents adhered to safe-sleep practices For instance
babies should be placed on their backs to sleep but the CDC found that 22 percent of
moms placed babies on their side or stomach Soft bedding mdash blankets pillows bumper
pads mdash should be kept out of the sleep area but 39 percent of moms said they used soft
bedding And itrsquos a good idea to share a room with an infant but not a bed with a baby Still
61 percent of moms told the CDC they had slept with their babies The Washington Post
top of page
US US faces oversupply of antibiotic-free chicken -
Sanderson Farms 16 January - Supplies of chicken raised without antibiotics are outstripping demand a major
US poultry producer said on Tuesday a sign of overproduction that could eat into
processorsrsquo profits Large chicken and restaurant companies including Tyson Foods Inc and
McDonaldrsquos Corp have raced to cut antibiotics from poultry supplies as public health
experts have warned about the link between use of the drugs in farms and the rise of drug-
resistant bacteria Antibiotic-free chickens made up an average of 405 percent of all fresh
US production for the first 10 months of 2017 Sanderson Farms Inc said in a regulatory
filing However only 64 percent of sales were for products sold as antibiotic-free (ABF)
according to Sanderson the third-largest US poultry producer Reuters
top of page
US US government to shield health workers under
religious freedom 18 January - The US government is seeking to further protect the ldquoconscience and religious
23
freedomrdquo of health workers whose beliefs prevent them from carrying out abortions and
other procedures in an effort likely to please conservative Christian activists and other
supporters of President Donald Trump The US Department of Health and Human Services
said on Thursday it will create a division within its Office of Civil Rights to give it ldquothe focus it
needs to more vigorously and effectively enforce existing laws protecting the rights of
conscience and religious freedomrdquo Healthcare workers hospitals with religious affiliations
and medical students among others have been ldquobulliedrdquo by the federal government to
provide these services despite existing laws on religious and conscience rights the top HHS
official said Reuters
top of page
USPACOM
Bangladesh Cold wave
12 January - Severe cold wave is sweeping over Bangladesh It was recorded the lowest in
Bangladeshrsquos history at 26 degrees yesterday in Tetulia Rangpur division hellip According to
the MET office the cold wave is likely to continue till January 14 and one or two more cold
waves are expected later this month hellip The cold wave has disrupted the lives of many in
northern Bangladesh Poor people particularly the farmers and rickshaw-pullers have been
affected badly Children and elderly people are the worst affected Twenty-seven (27)
persons have been reported dead ReliefWeb
top of page
Indonesia Indonesia sends military to help fight health
crisis in Papua
17 January - Indonesia is deploying military paramedics to carry food and vaccines to a
remote part of its easternmost province of Papua where reports say at least 61 infants died
from malnutrition and diseases such as measles hellip The situation in the remote Asmat
regency was an ldquoextraordinary incidentrdquo the health ministry said in a statement adding that
it was sending 39 health workers there The Indonesian military has sent 53 personnel
including paramedics besides medical equipment vaccines and 11100 packages of instant
food it added hellip ldquoThere is a link between the malnutrition and (catching) other diseasesrdquo
[Health Minister Nila] Moeloek added ldquoIf yoursquore undernourished you will get those
diseasesrdquo Reuters
top of page
Philippines Sanofi will reimburse Philippines
government for unused Dengvaxia
16 January - Yesterday Sanofi Pasteur the French pharmaceutical giant announced it will
reimburse the Philippines government for unused doses of Dengvaxia its controversial
24
dengue vaccine The announcement comes weeks after the company recommended the
vaccine not be used in people without prior dengue infections as it may prime dengue-
naive recipients for more severe infections More than 800000 Filipino children had already
received Dengvaxia when the recommendation was made Sanofi Pasteur has responded
positively to the Philippine Department of Healths (DoH) request that we provide
reimbursement for the doses of Dengvaxia that were not used by the government in the
public vaccination program the company said CIDRAP News Scan (third item)
top of page
USSOUTHCOM
Brazil WHO recommends yellow fever shot to Sao Paulo
visitors
16 January - The World Health Organization said on Tuesday that the whole of Sao Paulo
state which includes Brazilrsquos largest city Sao Paulo should be considered at risk for yellow
fever and recommended foreign travelers get vaccinated before visiting But Brazilrsquos Health
Ministry said the WHO recommendation coming just weeks before Carnival when tens of
thousands of tourists descend on Brazil would not cause it to change its advisory that only
travelers going to rural areas need to get vaccinated Deputy Health Minister Antonio Carlos
Nardi said Carnival celebrations in February were in urban areas and that visitors would not
be at risk if they stayed in cities Nardi said the number of cases had risen again this year
but that there was no outbreak of yellow fever in the country Reuters
top of page
25
US Military | Global | Influenza | VeterinaryFood Safety | Wellness | Contact Us
USAFRICOM | USCENTCOM | USEUCOM | USNORTHCOM | USPACOM | USSOUTHCOM
The Army Public Health Weekly Update does not analyze the information as to its strategic or tactical impact on the US Army and is not a medical
intelligence product Medical intelligence is available from the National Center for Medical Intelligence
External Links The appearance of external hyperlinks does not constitute endorsement by the US Army of this Web site or the information products
or services contained therein For other than authorized activities such as military exchanges and MWR sites the US Army does not exercise any
editorial control over the information you may find at these locations Such links are provided consistent with the stated purpose of this product
Although we avoid links to sites that may be blocked all sites may not be accessible from all locations While we verify the links at the time of
publication we cannot guarantee that they will be active in the future
Articles appearing in the Update do not necessarily represent US Army Medical Command opinionsviews policy or guidance and should not be
construed or interpreted as being endorsed by the US Army Medical Command
The Army Public Health Weekly Update is published by the Public Health Information Directorate Army Public Health Center
21
US More $$ needed for health emergencies senators
told 17 January - The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) needs more funding to
effectively prepare for public health emergencies an HHS official said at a Senate hearing
Wednesday We cant do more things with limited resources Robert Kadlec MD HHS
assistant secretary for preparedness and response told members of the Senate Health
Education Labor amp Pensions (HELP) Committee hellip We have a $33 trillion healthcare
system of which we invest $250 million for preparedness Its just a drop in the bucket
The hearing focused on the pending reauthorization of the Pandemic and All-Hazards
Preparedness Act (PAHPA) a 2006 law that established Kadlecs position at HHS and
implemented several programs aimed at getting the nation ready for emergencies such as
developing and acquiring drugs and vaccines to be used when needed MedPage Today
top of page
US National Academies report endorses lower BAC
higher alcohol taxes 18 January - Getting to Zero Alcohol-Impaired Driving Fatalities a new report from the
National Academies of Sciences Engineering and Medicine recommends reducing state
laws criminalizing alcohol-impaired driving from 008 to 005 percent blood alcohol
concentration (BAC) increasing alcohol taxes significantly and other actions to address the
persistent problem of alcohol-impaired driving deaths There are more than 10000 alcohol-
impaired driving fatalities annually in the United States and the report says stakeholders
that range from transportation systems to alcohol retailers to law enforcement should join
forces to implement policies and systems to eliminate these preventable deaths The
committee that conducted the study and wrote the report recommended a number of
actions lowering state laws on BAC raising alcohol taxes significantly strengthening policies
to prevent illegal alcohol sales to people under 21 and to already intoxicated adults
enacting all-offender ignition interlock laws and providing effective treatment for offenders
when needed Occupational Health and Safety
top of page
US NIH study shows steep increase in rate of alcohol-
related ER visits 12 January - The rate of alcohol-related visits to US emergency departments (ED) increased
by nearly 50 percent between 2006 and 2014 especially among females and drinkers who
are middle-aged or older according to a new study conducted by researchers at the
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) part of the National Institutes
of Health hellip These increases far outpaced changes in the number and rate of ED visits for
any cause during the years studied hellip Although men account for more alcohol-related ED
visits than women the rate of such visits increased more among females than males (53
percent versus 40 percent annually) over the study period NIH
top of page
22
US Number of Americans without health insurance
grows in Trumps first year new figures show 16 January - The number of Americans without health coverage which declined for years
after passage of the Affordable Care Act shot up in President Trumprsquos first year in office
according to data from a new national survey At the end of 2017 122 of US adults
lacked health insurance up from 109 at the end of 2016 as President Obama was
completing his final term The increase of 13 percentage points although modest marks
the first time since at least 2008 that the share of adults without insurance increased from
the previous year hellip The increase indicates that 32 million Americans lost health coverage
in 2017 Gallup concluded Los Angeles Times
top of page
US The Big Number 3500 infants die of sleep-related
issues 13 January - Thatrsquos the number of babies in the United States who die each year as the
result of a sleep-related issue according to a new report from the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention The causes vary but child health experts believe many of the
deaths would be preventable if more parents adhered to safe-sleep practices For instance
babies should be placed on their backs to sleep but the CDC found that 22 percent of
moms placed babies on their side or stomach Soft bedding mdash blankets pillows bumper
pads mdash should be kept out of the sleep area but 39 percent of moms said they used soft
bedding And itrsquos a good idea to share a room with an infant but not a bed with a baby Still
61 percent of moms told the CDC they had slept with their babies The Washington Post
top of page
US US faces oversupply of antibiotic-free chicken -
Sanderson Farms 16 January - Supplies of chicken raised without antibiotics are outstripping demand a major
US poultry producer said on Tuesday a sign of overproduction that could eat into
processorsrsquo profits Large chicken and restaurant companies including Tyson Foods Inc and
McDonaldrsquos Corp have raced to cut antibiotics from poultry supplies as public health
experts have warned about the link between use of the drugs in farms and the rise of drug-
resistant bacteria Antibiotic-free chickens made up an average of 405 percent of all fresh
US production for the first 10 months of 2017 Sanderson Farms Inc said in a regulatory
filing However only 64 percent of sales were for products sold as antibiotic-free (ABF)
according to Sanderson the third-largest US poultry producer Reuters
top of page
US US government to shield health workers under
religious freedom 18 January - The US government is seeking to further protect the ldquoconscience and religious
23
freedomrdquo of health workers whose beliefs prevent them from carrying out abortions and
other procedures in an effort likely to please conservative Christian activists and other
supporters of President Donald Trump The US Department of Health and Human Services
said on Thursday it will create a division within its Office of Civil Rights to give it ldquothe focus it
needs to more vigorously and effectively enforce existing laws protecting the rights of
conscience and religious freedomrdquo Healthcare workers hospitals with religious affiliations
and medical students among others have been ldquobulliedrdquo by the federal government to
provide these services despite existing laws on religious and conscience rights the top HHS
official said Reuters
top of page
USPACOM
Bangladesh Cold wave
12 January - Severe cold wave is sweeping over Bangladesh It was recorded the lowest in
Bangladeshrsquos history at 26 degrees yesterday in Tetulia Rangpur division hellip According to
the MET office the cold wave is likely to continue till January 14 and one or two more cold
waves are expected later this month hellip The cold wave has disrupted the lives of many in
northern Bangladesh Poor people particularly the farmers and rickshaw-pullers have been
affected badly Children and elderly people are the worst affected Twenty-seven (27)
persons have been reported dead ReliefWeb
top of page
Indonesia Indonesia sends military to help fight health
crisis in Papua
17 January - Indonesia is deploying military paramedics to carry food and vaccines to a
remote part of its easternmost province of Papua where reports say at least 61 infants died
from malnutrition and diseases such as measles hellip The situation in the remote Asmat
regency was an ldquoextraordinary incidentrdquo the health ministry said in a statement adding that
it was sending 39 health workers there The Indonesian military has sent 53 personnel
including paramedics besides medical equipment vaccines and 11100 packages of instant
food it added hellip ldquoThere is a link between the malnutrition and (catching) other diseasesrdquo
[Health Minister Nila] Moeloek added ldquoIf yoursquore undernourished you will get those
diseasesrdquo Reuters
top of page
Philippines Sanofi will reimburse Philippines
government for unused Dengvaxia
16 January - Yesterday Sanofi Pasteur the French pharmaceutical giant announced it will
reimburse the Philippines government for unused doses of Dengvaxia its controversial
24
dengue vaccine The announcement comes weeks after the company recommended the
vaccine not be used in people without prior dengue infections as it may prime dengue-
naive recipients for more severe infections More than 800000 Filipino children had already
received Dengvaxia when the recommendation was made Sanofi Pasteur has responded
positively to the Philippine Department of Healths (DoH) request that we provide
reimbursement for the doses of Dengvaxia that were not used by the government in the
public vaccination program the company said CIDRAP News Scan (third item)
top of page
USSOUTHCOM
Brazil WHO recommends yellow fever shot to Sao Paulo
visitors
16 January - The World Health Organization said on Tuesday that the whole of Sao Paulo
state which includes Brazilrsquos largest city Sao Paulo should be considered at risk for yellow
fever and recommended foreign travelers get vaccinated before visiting But Brazilrsquos Health
Ministry said the WHO recommendation coming just weeks before Carnival when tens of
thousands of tourists descend on Brazil would not cause it to change its advisory that only
travelers going to rural areas need to get vaccinated Deputy Health Minister Antonio Carlos
Nardi said Carnival celebrations in February were in urban areas and that visitors would not
be at risk if they stayed in cities Nardi said the number of cases had risen again this year
but that there was no outbreak of yellow fever in the country Reuters
top of page
25
US Military | Global | Influenza | VeterinaryFood Safety | Wellness | Contact Us
USAFRICOM | USCENTCOM | USEUCOM | USNORTHCOM | USPACOM | USSOUTHCOM
The Army Public Health Weekly Update does not analyze the information as to its strategic or tactical impact on the US Army and is not a medical
intelligence product Medical intelligence is available from the National Center for Medical Intelligence
External Links The appearance of external hyperlinks does not constitute endorsement by the US Army of this Web site or the information products
or services contained therein For other than authorized activities such as military exchanges and MWR sites the US Army does not exercise any
editorial control over the information you may find at these locations Such links are provided consistent with the stated purpose of this product
Although we avoid links to sites that may be blocked all sites may not be accessible from all locations While we verify the links at the time of
publication we cannot guarantee that they will be active in the future
Articles appearing in the Update do not necessarily represent US Army Medical Command opinionsviews policy or guidance and should not be
construed or interpreted as being endorsed by the US Army Medical Command
The Army Public Health Weekly Update is published by the Public Health Information Directorate Army Public Health Center
22
US Number of Americans without health insurance
grows in Trumps first year new figures show 16 January - The number of Americans without health coverage which declined for years
after passage of the Affordable Care Act shot up in President Trumprsquos first year in office
according to data from a new national survey At the end of 2017 122 of US adults
lacked health insurance up from 109 at the end of 2016 as President Obama was
completing his final term The increase of 13 percentage points although modest marks
the first time since at least 2008 that the share of adults without insurance increased from
the previous year hellip The increase indicates that 32 million Americans lost health coverage
in 2017 Gallup concluded Los Angeles Times
top of page
US The Big Number 3500 infants die of sleep-related
issues 13 January - Thatrsquos the number of babies in the United States who die each year as the
result of a sleep-related issue according to a new report from the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention The causes vary but child health experts believe many of the
deaths would be preventable if more parents adhered to safe-sleep practices For instance
babies should be placed on their backs to sleep but the CDC found that 22 percent of
moms placed babies on their side or stomach Soft bedding mdash blankets pillows bumper
pads mdash should be kept out of the sleep area but 39 percent of moms said they used soft
bedding And itrsquos a good idea to share a room with an infant but not a bed with a baby Still
61 percent of moms told the CDC they had slept with their babies The Washington Post
top of page
US US faces oversupply of antibiotic-free chicken -
Sanderson Farms 16 January - Supplies of chicken raised without antibiotics are outstripping demand a major
US poultry producer said on Tuesday a sign of overproduction that could eat into
processorsrsquo profits Large chicken and restaurant companies including Tyson Foods Inc and
McDonaldrsquos Corp have raced to cut antibiotics from poultry supplies as public health
experts have warned about the link between use of the drugs in farms and the rise of drug-
resistant bacteria Antibiotic-free chickens made up an average of 405 percent of all fresh
US production for the first 10 months of 2017 Sanderson Farms Inc said in a regulatory
filing However only 64 percent of sales were for products sold as antibiotic-free (ABF)
according to Sanderson the third-largest US poultry producer Reuters
top of page
US US government to shield health workers under
religious freedom 18 January - The US government is seeking to further protect the ldquoconscience and religious
23
freedomrdquo of health workers whose beliefs prevent them from carrying out abortions and
other procedures in an effort likely to please conservative Christian activists and other
supporters of President Donald Trump The US Department of Health and Human Services
said on Thursday it will create a division within its Office of Civil Rights to give it ldquothe focus it
needs to more vigorously and effectively enforce existing laws protecting the rights of
conscience and religious freedomrdquo Healthcare workers hospitals with religious affiliations
and medical students among others have been ldquobulliedrdquo by the federal government to
provide these services despite existing laws on religious and conscience rights the top HHS
official said Reuters
top of page
USPACOM
Bangladesh Cold wave
12 January - Severe cold wave is sweeping over Bangladesh It was recorded the lowest in
Bangladeshrsquos history at 26 degrees yesterday in Tetulia Rangpur division hellip According to
the MET office the cold wave is likely to continue till January 14 and one or two more cold
waves are expected later this month hellip The cold wave has disrupted the lives of many in
northern Bangladesh Poor people particularly the farmers and rickshaw-pullers have been
affected badly Children and elderly people are the worst affected Twenty-seven (27)
persons have been reported dead ReliefWeb
top of page
Indonesia Indonesia sends military to help fight health
crisis in Papua
17 January - Indonesia is deploying military paramedics to carry food and vaccines to a
remote part of its easternmost province of Papua where reports say at least 61 infants died
from malnutrition and diseases such as measles hellip The situation in the remote Asmat
regency was an ldquoextraordinary incidentrdquo the health ministry said in a statement adding that
it was sending 39 health workers there The Indonesian military has sent 53 personnel
including paramedics besides medical equipment vaccines and 11100 packages of instant
food it added hellip ldquoThere is a link between the malnutrition and (catching) other diseasesrdquo
[Health Minister Nila] Moeloek added ldquoIf yoursquore undernourished you will get those
diseasesrdquo Reuters
top of page
Philippines Sanofi will reimburse Philippines
government for unused Dengvaxia
16 January - Yesterday Sanofi Pasteur the French pharmaceutical giant announced it will
reimburse the Philippines government for unused doses of Dengvaxia its controversial
24
dengue vaccine The announcement comes weeks after the company recommended the
vaccine not be used in people without prior dengue infections as it may prime dengue-
naive recipients for more severe infections More than 800000 Filipino children had already
received Dengvaxia when the recommendation was made Sanofi Pasteur has responded
positively to the Philippine Department of Healths (DoH) request that we provide
reimbursement for the doses of Dengvaxia that were not used by the government in the
public vaccination program the company said CIDRAP News Scan (third item)
top of page
USSOUTHCOM
Brazil WHO recommends yellow fever shot to Sao Paulo
visitors
16 January - The World Health Organization said on Tuesday that the whole of Sao Paulo
state which includes Brazilrsquos largest city Sao Paulo should be considered at risk for yellow
fever and recommended foreign travelers get vaccinated before visiting But Brazilrsquos Health
Ministry said the WHO recommendation coming just weeks before Carnival when tens of
thousands of tourists descend on Brazil would not cause it to change its advisory that only
travelers going to rural areas need to get vaccinated Deputy Health Minister Antonio Carlos
Nardi said Carnival celebrations in February were in urban areas and that visitors would not
be at risk if they stayed in cities Nardi said the number of cases had risen again this year
but that there was no outbreak of yellow fever in the country Reuters
top of page
25
US Military | Global | Influenza | VeterinaryFood Safety | Wellness | Contact Us
USAFRICOM | USCENTCOM | USEUCOM | USNORTHCOM | USPACOM | USSOUTHCOM
The Army Public Health Weekly Update does not analyze the information as to its strategic or tactical impact on the US Army and is not a medical
intelligence product Medical intelligence is available from the National Center for Medical Intelligence
External Links The appearance of external hyperlinks does not constitute endorsement by the US Army of this Web site or the information products
or services contained therein For other than authorized activities such as military exchanges and MWR sites the US Army does not exercise any
editorial control over the information you may find at these locations Such links are provided consistent with the stated purpose of this product
Although we avoid links to sites that may be blocked all sites may not be accessible from all locations While we verify the links at the time of
publication we cannot guarantee that they will be active in the future
Articles appearing in the Update do not necessarily represent US Army Medical Command opinionsviews policy or guidance and should not be
construed or interpreted as being endorsed by the US Army Medical Command
The Army Public Health Weekly Update is published by the Public Health Information Directorate Army Public Health Center
23
freedomrdquo of health workers whose beliefs prevent them from carrying out abortions and
other procedures in an effort likely to please conservative Christian activists and other
supporters of President Donald Trump The US Department of Health and Human Services
said on Thursday it will create a division within its Office of Civil Rights to give it ldquothe focus it
needs to more vigorously and effectively enforce existing laws protecting the rights of
conscience and religious freedomrdquo Healthcare workers hospitals with religious affiliations
and medical students among others have been ldquobulliedrdquo by the federal government to
provide these services despite existing laws on religious and conscience rights the top HHS
official said Reuters
top of page
USPACOM
Bangladesh Cold wave
12 January - Severe cold wave is sweeping over Bangladesh It was recorded the lowest in
Bangladeshrsquos history at 26 degrees yesterday in Tetulia Rangpur division hellip According to
the MET office the cold wave is likely to continue till January 14 and one or two more cold
waves are expected later this month hellip The cold wave has disrupted the lives of many in
northern Bangladesh Poor people particularly the farmers and rickshaw-pullers have been
affected badly Children and elderly people are the worst affected Twenty-seven (27)
persons have been reported dead ReliefWeb
top of page
Indonesia Indonesia sends military to help fight health
crisis in Papua
17 January - Indonesia is deploying military paramedics to carry food and vaccines to a
remote part of its easternmost province of Papua where reports say at least 61 infants died
from malnutrition and diseases such as measles hellip The situation in the remote Asmat
regency was an ldquoextraordinary incidentrdquo the health ministry said in a statement adding that
it was sending 39 health workers there The Indonesian military has sent 53 personnel
including paramedics besides medical equipment vaccines and 11100 packages of instant
food it added hellip ldquoThere is a link between the malnutrition and (catching) other diseasesrdquo
[Health Minister Nila] Moeloek added ldquoIf yoursquore undernourished you will get those
diseasesrdquo Reuters
top of page
Philippines Sanofi will reimburse Philippines
government for unused Dengvaxia
16 January - Yesterday Sanofi Pasteur the French pharmaceutical giant announced it will
reimburse the Philippines government for unused doses of Dengvaxia its controversial
24
dengue vaccine The announcement comes weeks after the company recommended the
vaccine not be used in people without prior dengue infections as it may prime dengue-
naive recipients for more severe infections More than 800000 Filipino children had already
received Dengvaxia when the recommendation was made Sanofi Pasteur has responded
positively to the Philippine Department of Healths (DoH) request that we provide
reimbursement for the doses of Dengvaxia that were not used by the government in the
public vaccination program the company said CIDRAP News Scan (third item)
top of page
USSOUTHCOM
Brazil WHO recommends yellow fever shot to Sao Paulo
visitors
16 January - The World Health Organization said on Tuesday that the whole of Sao Paulo
state which includes Brazilrsquos largest city Sao Paulo should be considered at risk for yellow
fever and recommended foreign travelers get vaccinated before visiting But Brazilrsquos Health
Ministry said the WHO recommendation coming just weeks before Carnival when tens of
thousands of tourists descend on Brazil would not cause it to change its advisory that only
travelers going to rural areas need to get vaccinated Deputy Health Minister Antonio Carlos
Nardi said Carnival celebrations in February were in urban areas and that visitors would not
be at risk if they stayed in cities Nardi said the number of cases had risen again this year
but that there was no outbreak of yellow fever in the country Reuters
top of page
25
US Military | Global | Influenza | VeterinaryFood Safety | Wellness | Contact Us
USAFRICOM | USCENTCOM | USEUCOM | USNORTHCOM | USPACOM | USSOUTHCOM
The Army Public Health Weekly Update does not analyze the information as to its strategic or tactical impact on the US Army and is not a medical
intelligence product Medical intelligence is available from the National Center for Medical Intelligence
External Links The appearance of external hyperlinks does not constitute endorsement by the US Army of this Web site or the information products
or services contained therein For other than authorized activities such as military exchanges and MWR sites the US Army does not exercise any
editorial control over the information you may find at these locations Such links are provided consistent with the stated purpose of this product
Although we avoid links to sites that may be blocked all sites may not be accessible from all locations While we verify the links at the time of
publication we cannot guarantee that they will be active in the future
Articles appearing in the Update do not necessarily represent US Army Medical Command opinionsviews policy or guidance and should not be
construed or interpreted as being endorsed by the US Army Medical Command
The Army Public Health Weekly Update is published by the Public Health Information Directorate Army Public Health Center
24
dengue vaccine The announcement comes weeks after the company recommended the
vaccine not be used in people without prior dengue infections as it may prime dengue-
naive recipients for more severe infections More than 800000 Filipino children had already
received Dengvaxia when the recommendation was made Sanofi Pasteur has responded
positively to the Philippine Department of Healths (DoH) request that we provide
reimbursement for the doses of Dengvaxia that were not used by the government in the
public vaccination program the company said CIDRAP News Scan (third item)
top of page
USSOUTHCOM
Brazil WHO recommends yellow fever shot to Sao Paulo
visitors
16 January - The World Health Organization said on Tuesday that the whole of Sao Paulo
state which includes Brazilrsquos largest city Sao Paulo should be considered at risk for yellow
fever and recommended foreign travelers get vaccinated before visiting But Brazilrsquos Health
Ministry said the WHO recommendation coming just weeks before Carnival when tens of
thousands of tourists descend on Brazil would not cause it to change its advisory that only
travelers going to rural areas need to get vaccinated Deputy Health Minister Antonio Carlos
Nardi said Carnival celebrations in February were in urban areas and that visitors would not
be at risk if they stayed in cities Nardi said the number of cases had risen again this year
but that there was no outbreak of yellow fever in the country Reuters
top of page
25
US Military | Global | Influenza | VeterinaryFood Safety | Wellness | Contact Us
USAFRICOM | USCENTCOM | USEUCOM | USNORTHCOM | USPACOM | USSOUTHCOM
The Army Public Health Weekly Update does not analyze the information as to its strategic or tactical impact on the US Army and is not a medical
intelligence product Medical intelligence is available from the National Center for Medical Intelligence
External Links The appearance of external hyperlinks does not constitute endorsement by the US Army of this Web site or the information products
or services contained therein For other than authorized activities such as military exchanges and MWR sites the US Army does not exercise any
editorial control over the information you may find at these locations Such links are provided consistent with the stated purpose of this product
Although we avoid links to sites that may be blocked all sites may not be accessible from all locations While we verify the links at the time of
publication we cannot guarantee that they will be active in the future
Articles appearing in the Update do not necessarily represent US Army Medical Command opinionsviews policy or guidance and should not be
construed or interpreted as being endorsed by the US Army Medical Command
The Army Public Health Weekly Update is published by the Public Health Information Directorate Army Public Health Center
25
US Military | Global | Influenza | VeterinaryFood Safety | Wellness | Contact Us
USAFRICOM | USCENTCOM | USEUCOM | USNORTHCOM | USPACOM | USSOUTHCOM
The Army Public Health Weekly Update does not analyze the information as to its strategic or tactical impact on the US Army and is not a medical
intelligence product Medical intelligence is available from the National Center for Medical Intelligence
External Links The appearance of external hyperlinks does not constitute endorsement by the US Army of this Web site or the information products
or services contained therein For other than authorized activities such as military exchanges and MWR sites the US Army does not exercise any
editorial control over the information you may find at these locations Such links are provided consistent with the stated purpose of this product
Although we avoid links to sites that may be blocked all sites may not be accessible from all locations While we verify the links at the time of
publication we cannot guarantee that they will be active in the future
Articles appearing in the Update do not necessarily represent US Army Medical Command opinionsviews policy or guidance and should not be
construed or interpreted as being endorsed by the US Army Medical Command
The Army Public Health Weekly Update is published by the Public Health Information Directorate Army Public Health Center
Related Documents
